


All The Little Soldiers In A Row

by HelloHeadquarters



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Action & Romance, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 10:07:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 146,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21847927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloHeadquarters/pseuds/HelloHeadquarters
Summary: Tae Joon is where he needs to be, a legend in the Apex Games, inside the machine he has come to destroy. First he has to find the truth, about the Games, about himself, about everything. Complete.
Relationships: Crypto | Park Tae Joon/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Comments: 68
Kudos: 292





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, it will become apparent as this story goes on that
> 
> A) Everything I know about Titanfall Lore I got from breaking my brain trying to make sense of the wiki - the Apex timeline vexes me.
> 
> B) I have several headcannons regarding the backstories of several characters, mostly Elliott and Tae Joon but others as well. 
> 
> C) Elliott has two t's, dammit!
> 
> The tags are hard on mobile.
> 
> I'll only ever post a chapter when the next one is finished so... updates quite regularly, I hope as this story is already half done. I think. 
> 
> Also, please be gentle. It's my first time. 
> 
> Hope you like it.

Even when all the signs pointed to victory, it only took one tiny mistake to ruin the whole thing. Only moments ago the whole team had been sitting pretty, with Tae Joon and Elliott tied on an impressive twelve kills each, while Ajay was quite content with her five, knowing her damage numbers would put the boys to shame. Tae Joon had mentioned that he was running low on bullets, so they had ducked into one of the old mining houses for supplies. 

"Were doin' great, only two other squads left," came Ajay's cheerful voice in Elliott's ear. 

"That's what I like to hear," Elliott replied smoothly. There was a rattle as his foot knocked against a box on the floor and he pressed a finger to his ear.

"Hey man, light ammo here," he called out. Tae Joon emerged around the corner, nodding a silent thank you to his teammate as he stowed the extra bullets in his backpack. Elliott frowned at him as Ajay walked through the door. "Ring's closing in a minute. Say, which one of you boys wanted a choke?"

"Well..." Elliott began, raising his eyebrows and smirking. Ajay punched him on the arm. 

"Away with ya, ya animal," she said, tossing the hop up at him which he caught in both hands.

"Sorry, too much," he admitted, taking a step back from Ajay, his head bowed and his arms raised. Ajay tutted at him and turned to Tae Joon.

"C'mere and let me take a look atcha," she said. Both Tae Joon and Elliott were a little roughed up still from the fall from the train, and though Ajay had patched them up pretty well, it was hard for her to quit worrying about her squadmates. Tae Joon shrugged his shoulders but the act of doing so caused him to wince.

Ajay sighed deeply. "Them ribs gonna be botherin' you for a few days, boy," she warned him, tutting and shaking her head. 

"I'm fine," Tae Joon said shortly, earning him a disbelieving glance from Elliott, who was checking the magazine in his R-99, but the trickster unusually said nothing. If it hadn't been for Tae Joon, the odds were that he'd still be picking bits of Anita's artillery strike out of his face. 

"Oh, well excuse me, I'm sorry, are ya a medic?" Ajay asked sarcastically, stepping back and placing her hands on her hips. Tae Joon opened his mouth to argue, but before he could stop himself, Elliott had sent him a warning look that told him it would be best not to. 

Tae Joon looked to the floor and mumbled a small apology to his shoes. Ajay made a small noise of satisfaction in the back of her throat and indicated to Tae Joon that he should sit on the floor. Elliott went and kept look out by the door while Tae Joon's drone buzzed around the rear of the building, as the hacker himself shrugged off his coat and lifted his black tank. Kneeling down beside him, Ajay sucked a sharp breath through her teeth.

"Not really the kind of sound you want to hear from your healer," Tae Joon said with a small laugh, which caused him to wince again.

Ajay shrugged. "Kinda lost my bedside manner when I lost the bedsides," she said, waving a hand at their general surroundings. She gently pressed her gloved fingers to the edges of the violently purple bruise that had already blossomed on Tae Joon's side. He hissed, but held as still as he could. "Lotsa movement in their, sugar," she said warily. Then she looked squarely at him, and her cute, freckled face split into a wide grin. "Might be I get to cut you open later!" she said happily. Tae Joon visibly blanched. 

"You'll be fine," Elliott said, glancing over his shoulder. "She'll be in an out, five minutes tops, and no one handles a needle like Ajay. You won't even notice the scars unless you look real hard."

"Guess she wasn't the one who patched you up, then," Tae Joon wheezed. Ajay's smile completely dropped at these words, but the way in which Tae Joon said them hadn't really been overly malicious. Elliott shrugged and peered out the door once more.

"Whatever man, I was just trying to make you feel better." Elliott's back was to both of them now, and Ajay looked over to Tae Joon with a hint of anger in her big, brown eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't -" he muttered, ashamed. He really hadn't meant to, either. He might not like the man, but Tae Joon was no bully. In all honesty, he had forgotten about the several scars that patterned Elliott's face; he was just trying to be cold, to distance himself from the trickster, and hopefully all the others. He couldn't let any of them get too close, he knew that, and his instant dislike of Elliott made it easier to keep him at arm's length. Judging by the look Ajay was giving him now, his words might have helped to push her away, too. 

"Don't matter what you think of him, you're in this together now, ya hear me?" she said, yanking his shirt back down probably slightly harder than was necessary. She pushed herself up and then, after a moments hesitation, held out a hand for Tae Joon. He took it, holding back a groan as pain shot through his side. 

"See something," Elliott muttered, taking a few steps out the door. 

"Watch ya back," Ajay said softly.

"Hey, good idea," Elliott replied with his trademark wink, sending a decoy out to scout ahead. Ajay chuckled gently and pulled her Wingman from her hip.

"He takes some getting used to, but trust me. One day you're gonna realise that outta all of us, when things are really gettin' ya down, he's the one ya want." She smiled fondly at the doorway, while next to her, Tae Joon grunted. 

"He is a clown," Tae Joon intoned, suddenly feeling irritated that he was being forced to show some sort of graciousness to a man he couldn't care less about. 

Ajay wasn't looking for a project. "Just remember them words when ya looking down the barrel of his rifle, sugar."

Tae Joon raised an eyebrow at Ajay's back as she followed Elliott out of the door. If keeping the other legends out of his business was going to be easy, it would be because they were all as protective of the idiot as Ajay was.

He signalled his drone to scout even further ahead than Elliott's practically useless decoy, and found Renee, hunkered down behind a rock, desperately trying to recharge her shields while Natalie bled out on the grass beside her. "Got eyes on a squad, they're in a bad way," he said into his comms. 

"Copy that," Ajay replied. She crept forward, until the neurolink provided by Tae Joon triangulated on Renee's position. Grinning, she replaced her Wingman and pulled out her Alternator instead, leaping around the corner and spraying bullets down on the unsuspecting woman, laughing in a way that was actually quite terrifying.

"Woo! That's six boys!" she cheered happily over the comms as Renee went down. "Only one other squad left!"

"Patching into my drone," Tae Joon announced. Elliott looked over to him, sighed, and went to watch his six while he did all the little nerdy things with his little robot friend that apparently made him 'so cool'. The man was clearly oblivious to his close proximity as he piloted his drone around, searching for the last squad, so Elliott used the only surveillance mode available to him. He watched.

"I see them! Lifeline, behind you!"

Elliott was pulled from his wallowing by Tae Joon's urgent shout, and he snapped his head up, tucking the butt of his rifle into his shoulder. 

"Listen up, I'm getting shot at!" Ajay hollered through the comms. 

"Crypto?" Elliott said urgently, his eyes scanning ahead, desperate to jump in and help Ajay but also not wanting to abandon his other teammate while he was vulnerable. 

He stepped forward just as Tae Joon collapsed the drone controls and stowed them back in his jacket pocket. "Well?" Elliot asked.

Tae Joon paused.

"We're on the same team, jackass. Help me! And if not me, then at least help-"

"I am trying to help!" Tae Joon shouted back. "They destroyed my drone. We'll have to go in blind. It's risky."

Elliott frowned. "Oh no. You're right. How did we ever get by without you?" he began sarcastically. "You know, maybe you-"

Elliott was interrupted by a sudden rushing sound, incredibly loud, and far nearer than either man would have liked. They looked up to the sky and saw the unmistakable glow of an incoming care package. Elliott actually growled under his breath. He had been so distracted by Tae Joon's infuriating manner that he hadn't even realised he was standing right in the drop zone. He leapt back quickly, bumping against Tae Joon and causing the other legend to hiss in pain as his broken ribs were jostled even more. Elliott turned to the hacker, his fury quelled by a number of things, perhaps not only his desire to help Ajay but also the genuinely pained expression on Tae Joon's face. He placed a hand on Tae Joon's shoulder, pushing him back even more from the faintly ticking care package. "My bad, kid. You good?"

Tae Joon's mouth was a thin line, and his brow was furrowed. He felt every inch like taking a swing at Elliott. Elliott, however, stood his ground. Maybe he wasn't text book cool, but he didn't become a legend by letting his temper rule his actions when the chips were down. Tae Joon heard another burst of gunfire from Ajay's direction. 

"I'm good," he said. "We should go."

"Copy that." Elliott flipped the hatches on the care package and to his utter delight was rewarded with a Mastiff shotgun, fully loaded and ready to go.

"Last I saw it was Bangalore and one other in the building beneath the spire, but I can't be sure." Tae Joon unclipped a thermite from his belt and primed it. "How do you want to play this?"

Elliott faltered. This was their first match together, and though he had already seen from experience that Tae Joon was a crack shot, if bullets were flying in all directions in such cramped quarters, the muzzle flash would drive his accuracy down to zero. Luckily, accuracy wasn't much of a problem when it came to the Mastiff, so Elliott, checking his Vanishing Act readout, made an executive decision. 

"Let me sneak in the back, make sure they see you first. Hopefully I can take them out before they even notice me." 

"You wanna use me as bait?" Tae Joon asked incredulously as they ran towards the building, the miserable little voice in their ears informing them that Ajay, after putting up one hell of a fight, was finally down. 

"I wouldn't say bait," Elliott said offhandedly as they closed in on their target. 

"Then what would you say?"

Elliott stopped dead and looked Tae Joon in the eyes. "I didn't say it wasn't true, I just wouldn't say it." He dashed off with a wink to the rear door while Tae Joon, letting out a little huff, rounded the other door and began firing. Elliott activated his ability, and was at once flanked by multiple versions of himself, smiling and posing, the finger guns coming left and right as he ran through the rear door, reappearing in an instant with his shotgun aimed squarely at the back of Anita's head. He fired of the first round, the recoil nearly wrenching his arms from their sockets as the hardened IMC grunt dropped to her knees. He looked around wildly for anyone else, just in time to watch Gibraltar finally finish Tae Joon off. The mountainous man turned, peacekeeper raised, no doubt alertered to Elliott's presence by his fallen squad mate. They both fired at the same time.

For a moment there was just the ringing in his ears and the pain in his chest, and just before the arena faded into darkness, Elliott heard Makoa's jolly laugh as he went down.

"Bye brotha, see you later!"

-

Tae Joon's head was fit to burst when he woke some time later. His throat felt cracked and dry, and his ribs were on fire. His vision was too blurry to make anything out, but he could hear a steady hissing noise, the occasional beep of a machine. He brought his hands to his eyes with stiff arms that ached in protest, and tried to rub some of the haziness out of them. Slowly, the room came together, sterile and white, a hospital ward of some kind. Tae Joon groaned quietly, and shut his eyes once more.

They had warned him about this. Back at the beginning, after he had handed over his fabricated credentials with sweaty palms and held breath, after he had been cleared to fight, there had been Orientation. Someone in a lab coat that was supposed to make him feel better had explained that if he died, it wouldn't be forever. Of course, they couldn't explain exactly how the Games worked, even if he had been capable of understanding it, but it was important for him to know a few things. Firstly, there were things that seemed real that were not. Secondly, there was a very fine line somewhere in that definition. He would get hurt, he would bleed, parts of him would snap and break, but they wouldn't let him die. He would be alright, if not fine after every match. So he really didn't need to worry.

He grunted as he shifted in his bed. The real was feeling very real as his splintered ribs shifted in his side. Hesitantly, he lifted the rather unflattering patient gown he was wearing and craned his neck to look down at his side. It was not a pretty picture. His skin was a perfect representation of the blunt force trauma rainbow, but in the middle was the thinnest red line, held together with the tiniest stitches. He closed his eyes as he recalled Ajay's threat to cut him open, sighing deeply.

"You'll live," came a disinterested voice from his right. 

His head pounding, Tae Joon looked over to see Elliott Witt sitting up in the bed next to his, shirtless with a tight, white bandage around his chest. He looked just as bad as Tae Joon felt, but there was a grim look of resignation in his eyes.

"Did we win?" Tae Joon asked, his voice rough and dry.

Elliott snorted. "We did not," he replied in a low voice, running a hand over his bandaged chest.

Tae Joon turned away. He didn't care if he won; coming in second on his first run out was good enough to keep those in charge satisfied that he was meant to be there, and would hopefully soothe the paranoid voices in his head that told him they could see right through him. So many months of hiding, of skulking in shadows, of using every back door to find the truth, and now he was closer than ever and far too exposed. Every second not spent looking for Mila and the answers he needed was another second he got closer to being found out.  
His side spasmed in pain as he pushed himself further up in bed and he inhaled sharply.

"Take it easy, kid," he heard Elliott warn next to him. "First time down really takes it outta you."

Tae Joon smirked. "Maybe I am just not as used to it as you are."

"Uncalled for," Elliott shot back. 

Tae Joon ignored him and leant back against the pillows, closing his eyes. He hated being stuck somewhere, injured and vulnerable, separated from the tech he had come to rely on to keep him safe these past few months. He opened his eyes once more and looked around. There were two other beds on the ward, both empty. "Where is Ajay?" he asked suddenly.

Elliott shrugged. "She bounces back quicker than most. She'll be around somewhere though, this place is like a home away from home for her. She's always here, patching up rookies, bossing the staff around after a match."

No sooner had Elliott spoken when the door to the ward clattered open and Ajay walked in, a swollen bruise on her freckled cheek and a smile on her face. 

"How we feeling, boys?" she asked cheerfully. Tae Joon and Elliott both groaned in unison. Ajay chuckled. "You're gonna be fine," she said. She strode over to Tae Joon, grabbing a pair of latex gloves as she did and snapping them on. Tae Joon shifted as she approached.

"Don't look so worried," she said calmly. "Just gotta check your stitches. Well, I don't have ta, but I'm gonna."

Tae Joon nodded while she lifted the side of his gown. "Your work?" he asked.

Ajay snorted. "No way man, I was busy getting myself put back togetha," she said, laughing. "But I made sure the doc who did it was a good one." 

Tae Joon inhaled sharply as Ajay's fingers prodded at his side. "Don't be a baby," she chided him fondly. Tae Joon shot her a look as Elliott laughed.

"All good," Ajay pronounced, tugging Tae Joon's gown back down and pulling his sheets back up, absentmindedly tucking him back in like a child while she looked at his monitors. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elliott watching the whole thing with amusement. "Ya know, ya didn't do too bad for ya first go," Ajay said sweetly. Then she laughed. "You should ask Elliott what happened to him when he first got out there!"

Elliott's grin dropped. "What? No - No he shouldn't! Shut up, Ajay!" A steady pink flush was creeping up Elliott's cheeks and his brown eyes were wide in panic. 

Ajay walked over to him, still laughing, but Tae Joon remained silent. He didn't care what Elliott had done in his first match, and if he ever, for some insane reason, wanted to know, he was certain Mystik could tell him. She had been fawning over the idiot since practically day one, back when Tae Joon couldn't care less what came through the camera drones he designed. He had been working so hard all of the time back then, just trying to make ends meet, working his fingers to the bone just to survive while Elliott lapped up fame and money just for being pretty and figuring out which way around to hold a gun. He had it so easy, and even now, when Tae Joon was privy to the same luxuries as Elliott was, it was still so hard. Elliott could relax and enjoy the perks that came with being a Legend but for Tae Joon, perk was just another name for risk, and every time he put Crypto out there he risked a little bit more. 

"Your turn," Ajay said smartly, beginning to unwrap the bandages from Elliott's chest. There were no curtains to be drawn around the bed for privacy for either man, so Tae Joon just stared straight ahead, going over everything that had happened in the match to see if any of it had been useful. 

There had been some access points in Capital City that could be of some use. He would need to modify the drone to scan them, as doing it himself would be impossible with so many cameras watching. He looked around, suddenly. He had no idea where his drone was, or any of his other gear. He looked over to ask Ajay, and froze as he caught a glimpse of Elliott's injuries. 

Elliott's chest was the same kaleidoscope of mottled purples and blues as Tae Joon's side, but instead of neat little stitches, Elliott had deep, angry red grazes on his chest, the skin looking painful and inflamed. Old scars patterned his skin all over, small sunbursts of bullet wounds, thin lines like the one that crossed his eye. Elliott winced as Ajay ran a swab over his scratches, and Tae Joon found himself doing the same in sympathy.

Elliott looked over at him. "Not as bad as it looks," he said offhandedly. 

Tae Joon coughed, embarrassed to have been caught looking. "It looks painful," he said.

Elliott shrugged. "Didn't break any ribs, just left some of my skin back at the bridge. Does it hurt?" Elliott cocked his head. "Sure. But chicks dig scars, right?" He looked over to Ajay, who frowned at him, shaking her head. He turned and winked at Tae Joon. "They do. Trust me."

Ajay tapped him gently on the arm. "We don't dig being called 'chicks' though, ya pig," she said quite severely. 

Elliott bowed his head. "Yeah, sorry," he said quickly. "But hey, we all had fun, right?"

Ajay moved away from his bed, exposing the gauze patch just next to the base of her spine. "So much fun it hurts," she sighed. "Get some rest, tomorrow's gonna be hell."

She left the room, her usual bounce in her step distinctly absent as she did so. Tae Joon looked over at Elliott. "What did she mean?" he asked. 

Elliott made a derisive sound. "We didn't win, did we? So today is gonna be all about how great Makoa and Anita are, whereas you and me and Ajay get tomorrow all to ourselves to be asked questions like 'what went wrong?' and 'why did you lose?'. It's the worst." He coughed and then grimaced at his chest. "I really hate this part."

Tae Joon was starting to panic a little internally. A few days before the match, a woman from the Games had come to him to discuss his 'persona'. At first he had been confused, but then it all became very clear to him very quickly. What happened in the ring was just the necessary show needed to sell magazines and merchandise. Outside of the ring Tae Joon's job was to present himself a certain way, to endear himself to some fans while alienating others. Tae Joon almost laughed in her face. They wanted the man he was pretending to be to pretend to be someone else. He was collecting identities like it was his hobby. 

Someone else had come by pre-match to 'do something cool with his hair' and try to unsuccessfully convince him to lose the bulky coat. He knew he was finally part of the machine he was trying to dismantle the day they had come to him and told him to sign all autographs as Crypto. 

The one thing he had in his favour was that they had told him to play up his mysterious, brooding nature, which meant that not giving interviews, or at least, not very long ones, just added to his aloof charm. 

Soon after, he heard a gentle snoring coming from the bed next to him. Looking out of the windows, Tae Joon could see that it was getting late, but he longed to get up and stretch a little. Ever so gently, he pushed himself out of his bed, trying not to cry out in pain in case he woke the idiot. It took a while for him to get upright and even longer to shuffle to the door, leaning heavily on his IV stand to help him. Elliott grunted and turned in his sleep as Tae Joon opened the door, but he didn't wake. 

Tae Joon's ambition far exceeded his ability and he had only made it around ten feet down the hall before his ribs began to complain much louder than before. He leant against a wall, next to a door that was open just a tiny crack, spilling out the electrical glow of a television in a darkened room. He looked at the little board screwed to the wall and the name written there. 

N. Paquette.

Gently, he pushed the door open to see Natalie, fast asleep in a cocoon of pillows and blankets, her cropped blond hair a birds nest atop her head. The bed next to hers was empty. Above the foot of her bed was a screen showing a rerun of the match with the sound muted. Tae Joon was about to leave, but then he caught sight of himself dropping on to a train carriage to drop Renee and Path, much to Elliott's dismay. He saw the sly wink he had shot at Elliott moments before downing Caustic, and saw once again, this time with the clarity of not being in the middle of a fight for his life, the almost resigned panic on Elliott's face for the brief moments when he thought Tae Joon was going to shoot him. Then the angle switched and missiles began raining down on both of them, thudding into the carriage and shaking it wildly beneath their feet. Tae Joon remembered how loud it had been in that moment, but somehow Elliott's voice had cut through it, relief prominent as he had told Tae Joon he thought he was going to kill him. 

Tae Joon remembered calling him an idiot and throwing them both off the side of the bridge. Tae Joon almost wanted to cover his eyes, not wanting to see the moment when he slammed into the ground, snapping his ribs.

But that didn't happen straight away. The camera shifted once more to show a piece of shrapnel from the train, no bigger than a fingernail, pinging off one of the boosters on Tae Joon's jump kit. It was then replayed in slow motion. The booster sputtered a few times before dying completely, shifting him off course faster than was safe. Tae Joon hadn't even noticed, had even known until this point, but it seemed as though Elliott saw it straight away. 

He watched as Elliott hooked a hand between his jump kit and his coat, muscles straining as he tried to drag Tae Joon closer to him, battling gravity and the force from the explosion all at once. It barely slowed them both, and Tae Joon winced as they landed harshly on the frozen ground below.

Elliott hadn't said anything. Hadn't tried to claim credit or bragged about it at all. Tae Joon wasn't much bothered by that, but the memory of how spiteful he had been to Elliott afterwards kept him up until the small hours of the morning.

-

Tae Joon woke up the next morning to the sound of voices. As the room swam into view, he caught sight of a woman wearing a severe looking black suit, the small red logo of the Games stitched onto the breast pocket. She was standing at the foot of Elliott's bed, a phone clutched tightly in a hand with long, red painted nails, wearing a phony smile on her face that didn't reach her cold, blue eyes. She was talking to Elliott, or rather, she was talking at him. Elliott for his part looked as though he had just woken up and wasn't taking in a single thing she was saying. He was looking at her through heavy, red rimmed eyes, blinking often, his face pale. 

" - thinking that if you did, it'd really help the ratings." Her smile stretched even wider. "I mean, it doesn't seem like it'll be too difficult for you anyway, right? He seems to have a stick up his-"

Elliott coughed loudly, and the woman stopped talking. Her eyes darted over to Tae Joon and the phony smile dropped a little. Tae Joon glared at her.

"Oh good," she said after a moments hesitation. "You're up. How are you feeling? Good? Great." Tae Joon hadn't even attempted to answer her. "I know we haven't properly met yet. I'm Eve, I handle the PR side of things for you guys. Well, not just me, but I'm the one you're going to see the most of." She laughed unnaturally.

"Great," Tae Joon grumbled, earning a grin from Elliott. Eve didn't seem to notice anything. She tucked her short blonde hair behind her ears and redid her smile. 

"Anyway, we just got word from the guys in analytics that people are loving the replays of you two. I was just telling Mirage here - we were hoping you could, you know, keep up the banter? A little jab here, a little snide comment there, honestly, the people out there are animals for it." She paused to draw breath while Tae Joon just raised his eyebrows.

"Appre- appart- arp-" Elliott sighed, frustrated. "It seems they can't get enough conflict with their conflict."

Eve laughed her awful laugh again. "Exactly."

Tae Joon looked over at Elliott. He could antagonize the man all day long, no pretence needed, if that was what they wanted. Now and again his memory would recall what he had seen the night before, the slightly wild eyed panic on Elliott's face as Tae Joon's jump kit had sputtered out, the resolute way in which he had moved, sacrificing his own safe landing for one that meant he was now lying in a hospital bed with a chest that was now surely more scars than skin, and the things Tae Joon had said afterwards. Then Elliott winked at Eve, threw Tae Joon a look, and said "not a problem."

Eve grinned. "Fantastic. Feel better, the PC starts at three." She waved and left, slamming her phone to her ear and drawling out a hello to someone called Jay as she left the room.

Tae Joon sighed. According to the clock on the wall, it was just past eight in the morning. He hadn't drifted off properly until the first weak rays of sunlight had begun to peek through the curtains, and he was in absolutely no mood to drag Crypto out to sit in front of the cameras and be asked why he was such a failure. At least his ribs were already feeling better. Ajay had said something about chambers that made recovery a very quick process, even if they couldn't reassemble the legends completely, but even this fact bought Tae Joon little comfort. Of course they had ways to fix their cash cows up as quickly as possible. He wasn't going to make them a lot of money laid up in bed. 

Elliott pushed himself up and reached over to grab his phone from the side of his bed. As he tapped away on the screen, Tae Joon made another effort to get out of bed. 

"They might not hurt as much," Elliott said, not looking up. "But they're still broken."

Tae Joon ignored him and got to his feet. "They are expecting us to show ourselves at this pointless press conference later on today. The longer I stay here, the worse it will hurt when I have to move." He turned his back on Elliott, who made a small sound of agreement. 

"Hyeon," Ellliot said. Tae Joon was momentarily confused, before turning around. 

"Yes?"

Elliott wasn't even looking at him. "Huh? Oh, no, sorry. Just, didn't even know your real name 'til now." He pointed at the small white board above Tae Joon's bed. "Weird."

Tae Joon frowned at him. "You think my name is weird?"

Elliott looked slightly confused before suddenly understanding, eyes wide. "No! I just mean... you know, kinda just fought and lost by your side, didn't even know your name. Don't know much about you at all, now I come to think about it."

"Don't think about it," Tae Joon replied, his voice hard. 

Elliott opened his mouth to say something else when his phone began to buzz. He glanced down at the screen. "Hold on," he said. "I gotta take this."

"I don't care," Tae Joon responded and headed for the door.

Elliott looked back at him. "Save it for the fans, pal," he said with a withering stare. "Hey ma!" Elliott said, his tone completely different as he answered his phone. Tae Joon left the room and went in search of something resembling a shower.

A few hours later, Tae Joon found himself being ushered out of the medical wing by Eve, her heels clacking obnoxiously on the tiled floor. He had no idea where Elliott or Ajay were; when he had returned to the room that morning Elliott was already gone. 

"Obviously, the other two already know the drill but seeing as this is your first time I wanted to be here personally to make sure you know exactly what's going to happen." Eve was staring at her phone as they walked, making a lot of elaborate gestures with her free hand. Tae Joon remained silent as she explained that first would be wardrobe, then hair and makeup, and then a ten minute prep time where he, Ajay and Elliott would be able to talk through their stories. It was vitally important, she reminded him, to not be negative about his squadmates; that sort of thing never played well with the audience. Neither should he say anything bad about the champions. After all, they had won for a reason, and it was important that Tae Joon recognised it. However, as she had explained to him earlier, he could be slightly passive aggressive when it came to Elliott. Every word she said sent fuel straight to the paranoia fire that was building in Tae Joon's chest. He hated that he had to do these things and be so exposed. Already in his mind he was composing ways to avoid this in future, but he also had to be careful to maintain his place in the Games. Perhaps a top ten finish next time, depending on how competent his teammates were in the coming match. 

Eve led him to a room with chairs and mirrors, thick with the smell of hair products and perfume. Ajay was sitting in one of the chairs, looking at a magazine while someone fussed with her hair. She was already dressed in her usual apparel for the Games, and she nodded a small greeting to Tae Joon as Eve showed him to a dressing room at the other end of the room. Once inside, Tae Joon found all of his usual gear, freshly laundered and hanging up on the back of the door. He got changed quickly and headed back out to find Ajay gone and Elliott sitting in her place, eyes fixed to his phone as he waited for someone to come and tend to him. He didn't even acknowledge Tae Joon, so instead he sat in one of the other chairs and waited.

By the time he had been pulled about and styled and presented, Elliott still had spoken a single word. The thing was, as much as Tae Joon would have liked to have put it down to the fact that they really had nothing to say to each other, it really didn't seem that way. If anything, Elliott seemed preoccupied. He was constantly checking his phone, a slightly anxious look on his face, furrowing his brow and worrying his eyes. Tae Joon was curious as to what could make the usually so arrogant man apprehensive, but not enough to actually ask. Instead he let Ajay do the talking for all three of them as they sat in a small room off from the one where a long table with microphones had been set up for the conference. 

"Same old thing, I reckon," Ajay said as she unscrewed the cap from a bottle of water. "We did the best we could, yadda yadda, but they edged us out. Well done and all that, but we'll getcha next time."

Elliott nodded, his eyes fixed on his phone. Tae Joon watched as Ajay's expression switched to one of mild annoyance.

"Come on, man," she said irritably. "Feel like I'm talking to myself here."

Elliott looked up guiltily and stowed his phone in his pocket. "Yeah, sorry. Go on, I'm listening, I swear."

Ajay tutted and crossed her arms over her chest. Tae Joon almost wanted to say something, but he wasn't quite sure what. He just felt like Elliott wasn't being intentionally rude, and he was definitely the type of man who could talk a lot while never actually saying anything. The point was that Elliott's head clearly wasn't in this, as much as Tae Joon had been worried about presenting himself a certain way for the sake of appearances, he got the distinct impression that it was the last thing on Elliott's mind right now. He was surprised that Ajay couldn't tell.

"Right. We gotta make a big deal about how useful Hyeon was, as well," Ajay continued.

"We do?" Elliot said with a disbelieving look in Tae Joon's direction. Tae Joon was a little relieved for the return to form, but scowled at him in response.

Ajay sighed. "Yes, we do. Just, stow your crap for five minutes you two. Honestly, I'm gettin' sick of it already." Ajay put a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "Spare me men and their pissin' contests," she muttered to herself, heading towards the door.

Elliott got to his feet and followed her. "Come on," he said over his shoulder to Tae Joon. "Let's get this over with."

Tae Joon stepped out of the room into one packed with reporters. He could see devices being held aloft to capture their entrance and turned his head away. He took a seat between Ajay and Elliott, having being told that no matter how much he hated the idea, he was the main attraction today. Everyone wanted to hear from the new guy.

As he gazed out at them all, he could see that many of the reporters present seemed disinterested in what they were doing. He imagined this must be the gig that no one really wanted, the pleasure of interviewing the losers when hype for the last match was already dying down. There was at least a small relief in that, but he was still prepared for enough people to be curious about him to pay attention. 

Eve stepped out onto the stage, beaming her phoney smile, her hands clasped in front of her. "Good afternoon, everyone. Now, we've all been here before, haven't we?" She looked around at the sea of bored faces like a teacher addressing a class of preschoolers. "So let's keep this brief. Our poor legends here are still a little sore from the match, and I'm sure they longing for some well deserved rest. Right, let's get started. You?" She pointed at man who was near the front, a voice recorder held limply in one hand.

He looked up. "Ted Jones, Official Apex Magazine. My question is for Crypto." Tae Joon shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 

"Yes?" he muttered into the microphone.

"Right. So, how was your first match? Harder than you thought? What about your squad? Do you wish you had been teamed with someone else perhaps?"

Before Tae Joon could even form an answer, Eve had stepped in. "Well, that's more than one question," she said with a little laugh. There was a smattering of false laughter from the assembled reporters. 

"It's alright," Tae Joon said quietly. "The match was difficult, but I did not enter into the Games unprepared, and I am satisfied with my performance. A win would have been nice, but unlikely, going up against such seasoned Legends as Gibraltar and Bangalore. My squad was," he paused, as if in thought. "Almost perfect."

"Almost?" Ted asked slyly.

Tae Joon held his gaze for a moment. "Well, we did not win."

There was a flurry of activity at his words. Next to him he could feel Elliott bristling, but he didn't much care. Eve cleared her throat and pointed to the next reporter, who had a question for Ajay about everyone's physical status post match. She filled them in, making a big deal of how brave Tae Joon had been to carry on, despite his broken ribs, while Elliott rolled his eyes. The next question was for both Elliott and Ajay, regarding Tae Joon's drone and it's usefulness, which Ajay insisted was wonderful while Elliott begrudgingly admitted it was a clever design. 

Tae Joon was starting to think that his aggression was not coming across as very passive, and made a note to at least try and find one vaguely nice thing to say about Elliott before the conference was done, lest he alienate the admittedly not small portion of the fan base that adored the idiot. His chance came almost immediately with the next question. A woman with thick glasses and a breathless look on her face stood up. 

"Hi, uh, I'm Rebecca Carson, Mirage Monthly," she said.

"Hey Becky, how ya doing?" Elliott piped up with a wink.

Rebecca giggled and covered her face with her hands. "I'm good," came the muffled squeak of a reply. She slowly lowered her hands and smiled dopily at Elliott, until Eve cleared her throat.

"Your question?" Eve prompted.

"Oh, right. Um, Crypto," she began, and the hard way in which she said his name wasn't lost on anyone in the room. "What do you think of the amazing way Mirage pretty much saved your life when your jump kit got damaged? I mean, he literally saved you. He's a hero." She directed these last words to Elliott, who waved his hands and grinned smugly.

Tae Joon breathed out heavily. "I am grateful. I am aware my injuries could have been much more severe, but to be honest, I was unaware of his actions until after the match." Some small part of Tae Joon hoped that Elliott could feel the meaning in those words. He saw Elliott shift out of the corner of his eye, and turned to him. "I owe you a debt," he said solemnly. 

Elliott actually looked a little uncomfortable. "Don't worry about it," he said nonchalantly, earning a wistful sigh from Becky.

Eve stepped in once more. "Ok, I think that's enough for one day. The legends and I would like to thank you for coming out today, and I guess there's only one thing left to do." There was sudden movement in the crowd as they all seemed to sit up a little straighter. "Next match is scheduled for... three days time." She beamed as hands flew into the air and extra devices were seemingly produced from thin air. "Yes, I know it's a lot sooner than usual, but I am excited to tell you why." She flipped her hair behind her ear, still smiling inanely. "Now, as you know, we like to introduce the odd little thing here and there, just to mix things up and keep the Games fresh. However, before we introduce our next exciting event, there is, unfortunately, a quota of matches we have to meet. I know, I know, but running the Games is a lot of work, and it costs a lot of money, money that comes primarily from sponsers. So, expect an exciting announcement after the next match, and, once again, thank you so much for coming."

There was a light smattering of applause, excepting Becky, who clapped so hard she shook her glasses from her face, and Eve led them off the stage and back to the room they had come from. She then left to make sure all of the reporters were ushered off the grounds, leaving them to make their own way back to their rooms.

When he had first come to the complex, Tae Joon had been amazed by the sheer size of it. It was new to all of them, and apparently much larger than the one they had been used to at Kings Canyon. It had everything they could ever need, from the medical wing Tae Joon had woken up in, to the conference room they had just left. Each legend had their own space, but there were communal areas as well, and a lot of extra facilities like a workshop and a gym. The best part was, as far as Tae Joon was concerned, was that the Syndicate's own rules prevented cameras of any kind inside the perimeter. He was cloistered away and hidden by the very people who longed to find him. 

Elliott was already back on his phone as the three of them walked in silence along the halls. Tae Joon was feeling slightly more relaxed, figuring that the whole thing had gone as well as it possibly could, but now Ajay seemed perplexed. She stopped them as they reached the residential wing. 

"That seem weird to you, Ell?" she asked.

"Hm?" Elliott's head snapped up. "What?"

Ajay sighed. "Another match so soon? I don't buy all that sponsor crap, they love an event. Gets 'em all greedy." 

Elliott shrugged. "Maybe. But why? Why squeeze another match in so soon? They gotta know that all of us are still gonna be trying to shake of the last one. Not gonna be much of a show."

Ajay shook her head. "Guess it's not our problem," she said eventually. "I know I ain't in any fit state to worry 'bout it anyway. I wanna go sit in the tub 'til I melt."

Ajay turned left and sauntered off to her own room, while Elliott and Tae Joon went the other way. Their rooms were not too far apart from each other's, and they walked in silence, Elliott trailing a little behind the other man. Tae Joon's mind was turning Ajay's words over and over. There was no reason to thinking had anything to do with him, it made no sense to link the soonness of the next game with the manhunt that continued for Tae Joon, but his head did it anyway. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to steady himself before he began freaking out completely. He stopped walking, placing a hand against the wall to lean on, and it wasn't long before Elliott, still distracted by his phone, walked straight into him. 

Tae Joon hissed as his ribs made their displeasure known. "Oh, sorry," Elliott muttered, glancing up briefly as he stepped around Tae Joon. Then he stopped and turned around.

"Hey, you ok buddy?" he asked, moving his head to try to catch Tae Joon's eye. "Looking a little shaky there."

"I'm fine," Tae Joon replied. Elliott looked like he was about to pry some more, so he straightened up and nodded. "My ribs," he offered by way of explanation. "How about you? You seem... distracted today."

Elliott smiled. "Me? I'm all good pal, all good." His smile faltered as his phone beeped. He sighed. "Just... family stuff. Mom's not having a great day and I-" As if remembering who he was talking to, Elliott shook himself. "Doesn't matter. All good." He smiled wider than before, before clearing his throat and running a hand over his battered chest. "Ajay was right," he said abruptly. "Best get to some intensive TLC before we gotta start training for the next one." He pealed off down a small corridor while Tae Joon continued forward, getting to his room with an immense feeling of relief washing over him as he pushed open the door. 

He quickly changed out of his bulky costume and threw on a tracksuit, settling himself in front of his computer with a bowl of noddles, ready to begin another night of what would probably be a completely fruitless search for a way into the Syndicate's files. His muscles were tense and sore, but Tae Joon had never exactly been comfortable his whole life, and this was a little too business as usual for him to try to fix. 

The hours ticked by steadily. Tae Joon left his chair only once, to get some water and use the bathroom. When he finally looked up, it was dark outside. From somewhere beneath his feet, he could feel the steady thumping of music and hear the sounds of muffled laughter. He scrubbed his hands at his bleary eyes and stretched his back in his chair. He looked over to his bed, then back to his computer screen. Tonight had been a total waste of time. He had hoped that being this close to the machine would allow him easier access, but it hadn't worked that way. Still, it had only been a few days. He switched his computer off and headed for bed.

He hadn't even pulled back the covers when there was a knock at the door. Sighing irritably, Tae Joon crossed the room to open it.

On the other side, he found the large, beaming figure of Makoa Gibraltar. He managed to conjure up a weary smile by his own by way of greeting, and saw Makoa's expression flicker.

"Oh, sorry brotha, hope I'm not disturbing you," Makoa said quickly. Tae Joon shook his head.

"Long day," he said by way of explanation. Makoa laughed. 

"I hear that. Say, if you were about to turn in..." Makoa looked actually a little troubled now.

"Really, it's fine," Tae Joon insisted, nodding at the other man to show it really was. "What did you need?"

"Well, no one will think bad of you if you don't, but the rest of us are having a little get together in the rec room, if you're interested. Kind of a post match tradition we do. But like I said, we all know you're not feeling great, so if you don't wanna come, we get it. Caustic never shows up to these things, either, so..." Makoa ran a hand awkwardly around the back of his neck. In all truth, Tae Joon had no interest in mingling with his fellow legends, and was about to say as much when Makoa continued. "Elliott's not coming either, and we all know you guys had that really rough fall, so, like I said, we get it."

"Is he alright?" Tae Joon asked before he could stop himself. Though he had no reason to, he couldn't stop feeling responsible for Elliott's injuries, which he was certain were far worse than the trickster was letting on.

"I'm sure he's fine, Ajay would have noticed in a heartbeat if he wasn't. Honestly, Hyeon, no pressure."

Tae Joon nodded gratefully. "Please send everyone my regards," he said honestly. 

"No problem. And hey, it's good to have you here," Makoa said companionably. 

"Thank you," Tae Joon replied. Makoa left with after a smile and a gentle pat on the shoulder. As much as he had been telling himself to distance himself from the others, they had mostly all been overwhelmingly nice to him. He got the impression that they spent most of their time surrounded by sychophants, and when they met someone who could see themselves as their equal, they went a little overboard to be friendly. The thing was, Tae Joon was well aware that he was in the same situation, even if he was coming at it from a different angle. Tae Joon had spent months in silent isolation, alone and scared and angry with no one to talk to or confide in, or even just to distract him from his misery for a little while. He knew it was dangerous to get close to anyone just as much as he longed to do just that, and the temptation to make friends and forget was almost too much. 

The thing was, Tae Joon was well on guard against being institutionalised. Maybe once he could have afforded to yearn, to feel and love and ache. That was lost to him now, and for the sake of all he needed to accomplish he had to be a cold, unfeeling machine. It should have been easy. For so long all he had felt was anger and regret, and there was no space left inside him for empathy or kindness. He was safer on his own, and he didn't need to miss other people, to need them; it just complicated things. Until he found the truth, his own anger would shield him from everything else. He should have felt stronger this way.

He really didn't though, he couldn't lie to himself even if he had everyone else fooled. He was scared, and isolated, and desperate to feel the sense of other people around him. He went to sleep, alone, with his head full of worry and guilt, his heart aching like a stone in his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

The next two days were a blur of activity. Through his unshakeable habit of eavesdropping, Tae Joon learned that Elliott's absence from the party had been down to nothing more than exhaustion. He found himself feeling relieved; it was difficult for him to forget that small glimpse of sincerity he had seen in Elliott before the shutters had come down once more. The next morning, however, Elliott had been very much his usual self, making a show of how brave he had been in the match to help Tae Joon once everyone had seen yesterday's press conference. Most of his exclamations were met with sighs and good natured ribbing, with the exception of Pathfinder, whom Tae Joon had a strong belief was a subscriber to Mirage Monthly. 

It was a little jarring to sit there amongst them all as they ate breakfast together. It was like they were at camp, only Tae Joon was sitting elbow to elbow with a woman whom he had very recently tried to gun down, and who was now politely asking him to pass the butter. He had watched 'Wraith' through the same lens as legions of others for so long, and the fact that the mysterious, tortured legend ate toast and put sugar on her cornflakes was pretty surreal. Admittedly, some of the others behaved in a way more true to their legendary personas, with Caustic slouching in to the room once they were all seated, ignoring them all and taking the whole pot of coffee with him when he left without a word, and the way that Octavio's breakfast seemed to be two cans of a vibrant, green energy drink, consumed with his usual haste. Elliott talked with his mouth full, and Natalie carefully separated her eggs from her bacon and ate everything in a specific order. Bloodhound was absent, but Makoa mentioned that they often were not present for meals that didn't hold some sort of religious significance, and Pathfinder, who didn't eat at all, stood in the corner of the room like an excitable hatstand, his screen flickering to different emojis as certain things were discussed. 

On Tae Joon's other side, Ajay was sitting with her headphones on, gently bobbing her head from side to side as she ate her breakfast. The only other absence was Anita, who usually got up before sunrise and was currently in the gym. It was all so strangely domestic. Tae Joon ate his breakfast and, after washing his dishes, returned to his room. He was feeling rather unsettled, and as usual, far too exposed, and now he craved the isolation he had been lamenting the night before. 

Sitting in front of his computer once more, his attention was caught by the small symbol in the corner of the screen, sent to the inbox set up for him by the Syndicate so they could reach him whenever they needed to. Tae Joon was under no illusions that they viewed him as anything else but their property, but allowing him Legend status was a risk, and they wanted to be sure he would play nice before they started designing the plush drones and action figures. This meant answering when they called with no delay, which he was encouraged to do because they were all just one missed message away from a visit from Eve, complete with sickly sweet threats delivered as offers to help. He opened the message with a sigh. It was a generic thing, sent to all of them, detailing the time and date of the next match. He also had a list of appointments he needed to keep beforehand, one of which was a photoshoot, the thought of which made him shudder. He checked his other inbox, the one about which the Syndicate could never know, but it was empty. Then, various scanners running in the background, Tae Joon made sure his room was secure before heading down to the workshop to repair his drone.

Of all the places in the complex, he liked the workshop the best. It was dark, lit only with the lamps at the different work stations, and it was messy and cluttered and chaotic. The air smelled of grease and grime, of stale old coffee and chemicals. Everyone who needed a space there had one, but they were separated only by the things they held. He could see the place where Natalie's pylons gave way to Ajay's spare drone boosters, the medkit she used as a toolbox still open on the floor. Beside that, the plastic sheets that covered the floor, weighed down with heavy Nox barrels that Caustic assured them were completely inert outside of the ring. There was a small nessy plush, stained and burned, stuffed into a beaker on one of the shelves. The next area along was by far the largest, which made sense because as a MRVN, Pathfinder was the largest piece of kit on the field. Spare arms and legs spilled grotesquely from bins, a few of the hands posed into a thumbs up in a gruesome way, others in a gesture that was a little more rude. It was no mystery to anyone who had done that; as Octavio needed so little, and never had his own tools, many of his things were piled in with Pathfinder's. His filtration gadget and stim were all produced off site and bore the logo of his parent's company, and Octavio knew the bare amount of maintenance to keep his legs going and showed no interest in learning anything else. Empty cans littered the area, and a small handheld games console with a smashed screen was sitting next to a dog eared book of old Earth poetry. 

Tae Joon's own space had been slotted in next to Pathfinder's. He had yet to create as much wild devastation as the others; most of what he needed to maintain his drone was still neatly in boxes or in its tool kit; however, most places that Tae Joon stayed in soon became a liveable mess of computer parts and take out cartons. He could see that someone had already delivered his poor, battered looking drone to his station, and with a sigh he rolled up his sleeves and switched on his lamp to survey the damage. 

Due to his usual tradition of bad luck, the station next to Tae Joon's other side of course belonged to Elliott. Tae Joon's eyes wandered over to the edge of his table, where a few broken holo projectors had found their way over. Sighing, he tossed them back over, where they landed on the sprawling blueprints that covered Elliott's desk. Elliott's space was crowded, and almost overflowing, with a mannequin off to one side, it's arms covered in the circular projectors, a pair of the trickster's trademark goggles on its head. There was a small laptop, and a white board covered in various calculations and drawings. The whole space was completely at odds with 'Mirage'. There were no pictures of himself anywhere, save for a small, framed photo tucked away on a shelf behind a box of screws, which showed Elliott and an older woman smiling and giving each other bunny ears. Tae Joon looked away and slotted the casing from the back of his drone. The insides had an acrid, burning smell about them, and Tae Joon was already miserable about how much work It was going to take to fix this one. It definitely wouldn't be done before the next match, but he had three others he could use so it was really no big deal. He just had to be a little extra careful with them during the next match. 

He had been working away for a while when the heavy door opened and Elliott walked in, pausing slightly when he noticed the other man before heading over to his station. In his hand he was carrying a long belt strung with small, rectangular cards, and Tae Joon recognised it as the one he wore across his chest in the ring. "Hey," he said as he set the belt down.

Tae Joon nodded at him and returned to his drone. The tension that filled the air was palpable, but Tae Joon did his best to ignore it, working quickly as he soldered wires back into place, hoping to get done and get out before-

"So," Elliott began as he switched on his lamp. "How're your ribs?"

Tae Joon sighed. "Fine," he said shortly. 

More awkward silence followed. Elliott, who was clearly uncomfortable, tried to make as much noise as possible, clattering around with his tools and singing to himself. Tae Joon felt his skin prickling with irritation, and hunched over his work, trying to silently convey the message that Elliott was getting on his nerves. Elliott didn't seem to notice and carried on working, taking the small metallic cards off of the belt and holding them up to the light. 

When Elliott decided to switch on the small radio on his desk and start singing along to jingles, Tae Joon decided that his work on the drone could wait, and replaced the casing after a few missteps borne of irritation. As he straightened up, he was aware of the sudden absence of Elliott's admitedly not completely awful singing, and he could feel the other man watching him. He turned around just as a soft hum reached his ears, and came face to face with Elliott, their noses inches apart, who was looking right through him, smiling and winking, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. With a noise of exasperation, Tae Joon stepped through the hologram and headed for the door. 

"You'll hurt his feelings, doing that," Elliott joked behind him. Tae Joon looked back just as the decoy faded away, to see the real Elliott grinning inanely, hands on his hips, his holo devices clipped over the long sleeved shirt he was wearing. 

Tae Joon said nothing. He just rolled his eyes and left the workshop.

The phone the Syndicate had issued him with beeped as he made his way back to his room, informing him that he was scheduled for a med check in fifteen minutes. He took a quick shower to get the smell of the workshop out of his hair, and headed down to the medical wing. 

When he arrived, he was shown into a small clinic with several gurneys. The nurse told him to pick an empty bed and wait, so he chose the one nearest the door and looked around.

"Hey, compadre!"

He looked up. He hadn't noticed him at first. Octavio was partially hidden behind a set of mobile curtains, and was leaning forward with his hands on the bed to support himself, his prosthetics absent. The sight was slightly jarring to Tae Joon and he scolded himself for thinking it immediately, nodding a greeting in reply. 

"Your turn to get prodded and poked, amigo? I hate this part, I wish they'd hurry up." Octavio was looking left and right, and Tae Joon barely recognised him with his usual mask and goggles missing. In answer to a question he hadn't even asked, it turned out that Octavio had jet black hair, which was spiky and messy at all times, and large hazel eyes beneath very bushy eyebrows. 

"Yes," Tae Joon replied.

Octavio nodded vigorously, before looking around the room. "Don't know why we have to do this every time," he sighed. "They tell me they take my legs because they need to make sure they're working right, but I know the truth. Reckon Ajay told 'em to make sure they did to keep me from running away, eh?" He laughed, and Tae Joon smiled in response. 

"Seems cruel," he said.

"Tell me about it, compadre," Octavio replied. "But to be fair, they're not wrong." He laughed again, drumming his hands rapidly on the mattress. "Come on!" he called out. "What's the hold up?"

His question remained unanswered, and so his limited attention turned once again to Tae Joon. 

"Hey, compadre, what is all that?" he asked, pointing at his own jaw and ear and jutting his chin towards Tae Joon. 

Tae Joon ran a hand along to cybernetics on his cheeks. "Some enhancements so I can communicate with my drone," he said lightly. This was of course far from the truth. While they did project the screen and provide the neurolink to his drone, they were also so much more. They hid him from facial recognition software, and erased any part of him that was unique. His fingerprints, the shell of his ears, anything that could link him to Tae Joon Park. Even the soles of his feet were covered in the same polymer, whatever it took to bury the man he used to be for good. 

In a way, he was glad it was Octavio who asked him first. The daredevil would not have been curious enough to ask further questions, even if he had the attention span for it, and instead he turned his attention to himself, prodding at the circular discs on his torso randomly.

"What about those?" Tae Joon asked, trying to change the subject that was in all likelihood already forgotten anyway.

Octavio looked at him. "Not sure. Ajay said they have something to do with the filter I wear, but hey." He shrugged. "They keep me going fast." Octavio balled his fists and pushed them into his thighs, grimacing slightly. 

"Are you alright?" Tae Joon asked.

Octavio put a finger to his lips. "Si, but sometimes they hurt," he said, pointing to metallic caps at the end of his thighs. "Ajay tells me I need to sit down more."

"Then she is very brave," Tae Joon said with a grin. Octavio howled with laughter. 

"Too right, amigo," he said still chuckling. 

The door opened and a nurse walked in, accompanied by a large, mean looking orderly who was carrying Octavio's legs, one in each hand.

"Finally!" Octavio shouted, grabbing his legs from the man as soon as he was close enough and quickly slotting them into place. He gave them a few experimental shakes to make sure they were secure, and then bolted from the room, waving to Tae Joon on his way out. 

The orderly left but the nurse crossed over to where Tae Joon was sitting, pushed up his shirt without a word and began attaching various wires to his chest and arms. 

"Won't take long," she assured him. 

Tae Joon lay back a little and closed his eyes. He shouldn't have left the workshop so early, he chided himself. He needed to get all of his drones modified before the next match, otherwise he would be dropping into the arena, letting himself get bruised and bloodied and shot at, for nothing. Of course, he placed the blame squarely on the idiots shoulders. Had it not been for Elliott, Tae Joon would probably have already uploaded the necessary updates required to have his drones complete a remote scan of anything in the arena that seemed even a little promising. Instead, it was work he still had waiting for him, along with the hundred other things he had to do in order to prepare for the next match. 

The nurse left the room while the scans on Tae Joon were completed, and his eyes wandered over to the gurney that had recently been occupied by Octavio. A small file had been left at the foot of it, the tab marked 'Silva, Octavio'. He knew he shouldn't, but his curiosity got the better of him and he reached out to grab it. Just as his fingers brushed the edge of it, the door opened once more and he snatched them back, dragging the file to the floor where it fell open. The nurse noticed at once and Tae Joon tried to look as mildly surprised as she did, as if it had been her opening the door that had caused the file to fall.

"Well, that shouldn't be there," she scolded herself lightly to Tae Joon. She scooped the file up at once before Tae Joon could so much as glance at its contents, and left the room once more.

Tae Joon looked over to the place on the floor where it had fallen, and saw a small index card slightly hidden in the shadow of his bed. He reached down and picked it up. 

Flipping it over, he could see a hastily scribbled note on the other side.

'Your concerns are noted, but he has been medically cleared, by both his physician and the team's counsellor. Remember your place please Ms. Tate.'

Tae Joon turned the card back over, but that was all there was. The nurse came back just as Tae Joon slipped the card into the pocket of his jeans.

"Alright, let's see how your ribs are doing," the nurse said, unsticking the pads from his chest and shining a pen light on his side. She smiled. "Look at that, seems like you barely got hurt at all."

Tae Joon nodded. "It does not hurt anymore," he said. 

She stepped back, slotting the pen light back into her pocket. She wrote down a few notes in his own folder, then told him he was good to go. Tae Joon muttered a thank you and turned to the door. On the way out of the clinic, Tae Joon passed by Anita, who he had already learned approached her med assessments as if she were going to war. She was focused as she passed Tae Joon, and he did not envy the poor nurse who had to tell her that her blood pressure was slightly elevated. 

He had what was supposed to be a quick lunch, sharing his table with Makoa, but he was so easy to talk to that Tae Joon hadn't even realised how comfortable he was getting. Listening to Makoa talk about his home outside of the Games, from the sound of it, a beautiful log cabin on the edge of the forest that he shared with his husband and their dog, he felt a familiar sadness build within him. He was pleased for Makoa, of course he was, but it was hard not to feel a twinge of jealousy. He knew Makoa's life hadn't been an easy one from the word go, and his work with the S.E.R.A.s wasn't like a walk in the park, but he didn't have to hide. He didn't have worry that someday, the people he loved, his husband, his parents, would be taken from him and used against him as Tae Joon's had. He was free to live a real life, where every day even just waking up wasn't a lie. Tae Joon knew it wouldn't be forever, that one day he would have the answers he needed and then he would go, far away from the Games, the Syndicate, from everyone who had ever known his name. Somewhere quiet, and peaceful, and good. Somewhere he could go out in the daylight. It was all just taking so long, and weariness pressed down on him with every second that passed.

When Tae Joon glanced at the clock, he saw that the afternoon was wearing on and hurriedly excused himself, dashing to the workshop via his room to grab his laptop. 

Natalie was there when he arrived, as were Renee and Ajay. Renee didn't need to be there, but everyone knew that she hated to be alone, with nothing but the voices in her head for company. Tae Joon couldn't even begin to understand how the void technology worked, but he knew a lot of it had to do with Renee herself. Through the experiments of Amer Singh, something had changed inside of her forever, mutated her into the troubled broken woman she was now, who fought for answers and couldn't stop even though she had found them now. Tae Joon was probably the only other legend who knew the truth; he had seen the same files she had. After all, he had been the one who sent her the key she needed to break into the lab's computers, using the distraction of the devastation she had created to slip inside and get what he wanted. He looked at her, her legs drawn up to her chest as she sat on an upturned wooden crate, and wondered if she knew. 

"Bonjour Hyeon," Natalie said as he entered. Her pylon was set out in front of her, deactivated, and she was working away at one of the legs with a wrench.

"Natalie," he said in response. Ajay gave him a small wave and in doing so dropped her drone to the floor with a heavy clunk. Renee smiled at him, and Hyeon went to his own station where his own drone waited. 

He connected a cable from his laptop to a port in the side of the drone and began uploading the new program. The girls chatted animatedly, about the upcoming match, about the work they were doing, about anything. Natalie made dreadful puns that made both of the other women smile, and Ajay plugged her music into a large speaker on the desk, which began pumping out a low, reggae beat. 

It was, once again, all very domestic and homely. Now and again they would try to include Hyeon in the conversation, which he contributed to in monosyllabic answers, trying to keep his distance but truly quite glad to be involved. Tae Joon had spent a lot of his time around other orphans, in squats and hostels on the rare occassions that he had Mila had the money for a bed, hearing about Forever Families, but he knew a thing or two about found ones as well. He was reminded of something Makoa had said to him at lunch. 

"Before we get in that ring, we've all got each other's backs. We're like family. Maybe a bit of a strange one, but it don't take much tellin' to say that we ain't really got enough to spare between us to turn down any we might find."

Tae Joon hesitated. He knew that Natalie had lost her father just before she joined the Games, but other than that, he wasn't really sure. "I wouldn't want to pry," he answered softly.

Makoa laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Give it a little while, and it won't be prying. Most of us are good people."

"Even Witt?" Tae Joon asked before he could stop himself. He was still rankled at the other man, about the way his actions in their last match had just added to the list of things that Tae Joon had to feel guilty about.

Makoa hadn't seemed irritated like Ajay when it came to the pettiness between the two men. Instead, he looked at Tae Joon with something like sadness in his eyes. 

"Considering? Especially Witt."

He hadn't asked anymore. He didn't want to know. He was forced to admit that everything he knew about Elliott he had learned Officially. The Syndicate presented him completely as a funny, slightly stupid charmer, playing up his flirty nature and joking personality. Anything else would have been too real for the Mirage they were trying to sell. He had gotten the feeling from Makoa that despite the friendly vibes and jokes, he was on the other end of a warning, no less friendly but very, very real. Outside of the ring, Makoa would go to great lengths to protect his found family, and Tae Joon was being given an unspoken invitation to be part of that family, and never hurt them.

"Hyeon, you got a flateblade over there?" Ajay piped up, pulling him from his thoughts. 

He looked up to see the medic crouched over her own tools, rooting through them with her back to him. He looked over at his own kit, found the tool in question, and handed it to her.

"Hyeon," Renee said with a jut of her chin when he was close enough. "What do you think?"

"About what?" he asked, having clearly lost some part of the conversation while he was deep inside his own thoughts. 

Ajay looked at him as she twisted the screwdriver in her hand. "This next match, coming so soon?"

Tae Joon shrugged. "I am not sure," he said, but it had been troubling him too. Suspicion was where he lived now, and if those around him were suspicious too, it set off alarm bells in his head. 

"Maybe they are telling the truth," Natalie said innocently. "Papa once mentioned that the amount of energy I told them they would need to generate my ring would not come cheap. Perhaps they are needing the money."

Renee smirked fondly at the other woman. "They have money," she said darkly. "They must be raking it in."

For a second, Tae Joon felt a kinship with Renee. Clearly she hated the Games as much as he did, and begrudged having to ally herself with such a terrible thing in order to find the answers she needed. 

Ajay was looking at Tae Joon curiously, setting him on edge. He could see suspicion in her eyes, and it unsettled him greatly. He was starting to get anxious for the next match, anxious to get back to finding answers, and he wasn't going to be able to do that here. Unnerved, Tae Joon abandoned his drone for a second time and returned to his room.

Another message awaited him, this one regarding his dreaded photoshoot. Sighing, he made his way down to the same place he had before the press conference, his mind troubled. 

As he approached the wardrobe department, he heard raised voices and hesitated, inclining his head towards the door.

"No more!" he heard someone shout angrily. He recognised the voice at once as Octavio's, and he wondered what could be going on to make the usually so easy going legend sound so angry. There was a muted reply to Octavio's shout, but Tae Joon couldn't make out what was being said. He heard the sound of metal scraping along the floor and leapt back just in time as Octavio burst through the door, clad in his match gear, looking absolutely furious and upset. 

Reflexively, Tae Joon put out a hand to stop him, but Octavio just brushed straight past him, not seeing him at all. For a moment, Tae Joon remained in place, before remembering what it was he was supposed to be doing and stepping into the room.

Once again his outfit was waiting for him. He got changed, had someone put something that smelled like roses in his hair, and then he sat around looking surly while some idiot danced around him with a camera, snapping pictures left and right.

When it was done, he passed by the photographers laptop, and saw the ten or so shots she had taken of him there, all lined up on the screen. It seemed a little odd to Tae Joon, as he remembered the first time he had gone through this humiliating process, the photographer had insisted on taking at least five times as many pictures. Now it seemed as if they just wanted to get it done and get him out, which he supposed may have something to do with the uncomfortable atmosphere Octavio had left behind him. However, when he looked a little closer, he could see that the tab with Octavio's name on it held at least a hundred photos. He frowned, starting to feel like someone was giving him little puzzle pieces but he had no idea what the picture was supposed to be. 

He wondered if he should perhaps speak to Ajay; she and Octavio were very close, old childhood friends if he remembered correctly, and whatever was going on clearly had something to do with him. He settled in front of his computer, his mind racing, but the only comfort he could find was that whatever was going on, it didn't seem to have anything to do with him.

He ate dinner in his room, feeling far too raw to interact with other people, feeling as though there were eyes on him. He couldn't seem to sit still, and staring at various versions of 'Access Denied' was doing little to calm his nerves. He gave up and switched his computer off, turning instead to the screen mounted on the wall near his bed. He switched it on and watched it mindlessly, barely registering the images as they flashed up on the screen. By default, all screens at the complex were tuned to the Official Apex Channel, and Tae Joon watched, his chin propped in his hand, as a replay of the last match was shown. It was somewhere near the beginning, and showed a skirmish that had happened on the other end of the map while he and Elliott were getting blasted from the train. Someone was commentating over the top of the images, but Tae Joon really wasn't listening. He watched the rest of it through eyes that were threatening to close, only being jolted awake as he saw the moment Elliott had taken a full compliment of Peacekeeper pellets to the chest. Considering how hard he had landed earlier, that would have really stung. 

Tae Joon was starting to feel uncomfortable again, but this was a different kind of unease to the one he had felt before. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

On the screen, a card flipped over to show Octavio. They were running his Legend profile, a showreel of highlights from his previous matches, a few interview sound bites, basically a little cheer rally for the man. What struck Tae Joon as odd was the fact that it was Octavio who was being given the limelight, when usually it would go to whoever were the current champions, in this case, Makoa and Anita. With more pieces of the puzzle stuffed into his already fried brain, Tae Joon knew that sleep was no longer an option, at least not for a little while. 

Gathering up his laptop, Tae Joon made his way back down to the workshop. If his anxiety was going to keep him awake, it could at least make itself useful. As he approached, he could hear a one sided conversation coming from the other side of the door.

"- not a problem. No way. Well, that doesn't matter. If you need me, I'm there." Tae Joon hesitated, torn between needing to go inside to get to work, not wanting to go inside and interrupting Elliott's phone call, and, honestly, not going inside because Elliott was in there. 

"N- no, I get it. No, I know." Elliott sighed heavily. "Just hate to think of you on your own is all. I know, ma, course I know. Look, I think it'll take some getting used to. It's not like your old appr- aper-." Elliott huffed, frustrated. "I know it's not like your old place but ma, this is better. This way there's someone close just in case -" There was a lengthy pause. "Trust me Mom, no one is saying you can't look after yourself. They wouldn't dare."

Tae Joon turned to walk away, but then he heard Elliott say his goodbyes to his mother, wishing her goodnight. He waited for just a few more moments before opening the door and stepping inside.

Elliott turned his back on him the moment Tae Joon entered, his shoulders hunched as he leant his hands on his desk. "Oh, hey man," he said, his voice sounding muted. 

Tae Joon wanted to run. He immediately felt awkward. Elliott sniffed and brought a hand to a face Tae Joon could not and did not want to see. 

"Hello," Tae Joon replied. He wanted to go straight to his station and start working, to pretend he hadn't heard the conversation or noticed anything different about Elliott's behaviour, but even that was going to be a problem, what with their stations being right next to each other's. Tae Joon sighed and bit the bullet.

"Are you alright?" he asked, setting his laptop down on the desk, switching on his lamp and deliberately not looking at the other man.

"Me? I'm great," Elliott lied uncovincingly. "I'm..." He trailed off, fiddling with projector in his hands. He cleared his throat and dropped the disc. "Here kinda late, aren't you? Burning the candle at both ends?" 

Tae Joon pointed to his drone. "Still broken," he explained simply.

Elliott nodded, then turned back to his own station. There was a moment of silence. Tae Joon could feel a weird energy coming off of Elliott in waves.

"Do you-" Elliott began suddenly, straightening up and turning to him. "Do you need any help?"

Tae Joon considered the other man for a moment. Right there, as he stood before him, he couldn't see a hint of Mirage about him. He was just someone who wasn't at his best, looking to fix something that was broken to make himself a little better, and Tae Joon knew that the broken thing wasn't his drone. Tae Joon couldn't really begrudge him that; the animosity between them was affecting him more than he cared to admit. Every so often he caught himself thinking of the unkind words they had shared, and how the public lapped it up, and it pricked beneath his skin like needles. He offered a small smile to Elliott.

"That is kind of you to offer, but I can manage. Gamsahabnida."

He actually let out a small, breathy laugh at Elliott's expression.

"It means thank you," he explained. 

"Oh, well, in that case you, my friend, are very welcome." Elliott winked at him, and, as was fast becoming their custom, Tae Joon rolled his eyes in return, but the smile on his face remained.

-

Tae Joon had finally left the workshop long after Elliott had called it a night. They hadn't really spoken much, but the silence was companionable, comfortable. Once Elliott had left, Tae Joon found that some of the tension he had been carrying around with him since he arrived had left his chest. He thought that keeping the others distant was the way to go, but now he realised he was just picking fights where he didn't have to. 

He stayed up well into the night working. Once the necessary program had been downloaded, he decided to try it out. The only avaliable device to scan seemed to be Elliott's laptop. He agonised over it for only a moment, but his guilt was soon soothed when his drone managed to remotely download a full set of holo schematics. He couldn't understand them, he didn't even know where to start, but the fact that he had them at all made him feel like the late night was worth it. 

He came to regret this decision, however, when he was woken ridiculously early by Eve hammering on his door. 

He groaned and rolled out of bed, running his fingers through his hair and trying to wipe some of the drool from his mouth. With a quick glance at his computer to make sure the screen was clear, he opened the door on Eve's ridiculous, smiling face.

"Good morning, Crypto!" she said, far too happily, making him wince in return.

"Is it?" he muttered. He shouldn't have. The following high pitched laugh was like a drill in his skull. 

"Alright," she said softly. "So, match day tomorrow and you know what that means," she said, already looking down at her phone.

"I do?"

Eve looked up at him. "Lots of press!" She spoke about it as if it were some sort of treat. Which, he supposed, for some yellow clad idiots who perhaps weren't so bad after all, it probably was. 

"Now," she continued. "Once you're fed, washed and dressed, there's the usual pre-match group photo, then-"

"Hold on," Tae Joon interrupted. "I didn't have to do this last time."

Eve placed an unwelcome hand on his arm. "Of course not," she said. "You were the newcomer. We tend to not hype the new ones up, like to see how they play before we waste- um, before we invest too much in them."

That wasn't really any better, but Tae Joon held his tongue. "Anyway," she went on. "Today's a little... different." Unless Tae Joon was mistaken, there was a slightly hard edge to her words. She shook her head slightly. "Now, the big event doesn't start until next week, but we decided to start a new sort of thing this week. We're going to start making one of you legends sort of the star of the show. You know, push up the merch sales each time." 

Tae Joon already knew where this was going before she even said it.

"This time we've decided to go with Octane. I mean, between you and me, his sales are down. He hasn't won a match all season, hasn't even really come close. So..." She trailed off with a small shrug.

Still, the hard edge to her voice remained. She wasn't telling him everything, and what was more, they both knew it. 

"It'll all be done and dusted by noon, then the rest of the day is yours to do whatever you need to get ready. Ok? Great. See you in the conference room in an hour."

Tae Joon watched her as she walked away. He was trying to find answers, but it seemed as though all he was likely to get was more questions if things carried on the way they were going.

-

Eve hadn't been lying when she said they were going to make Octavio the focus of this one. The conference room was draped in banners showing Octavio in various poses, with everything decorated in green and grey. The room was packed with reporters once more, but this time they seemed far more interested in the proceedings. Tae Joon held back, using Makoa as a shield, which he at least thought the man would appreciate. By the time they had all shuffled up in front of everyone, Tae Joon was barely in the room at all. He craned his neck to see if he could spot Octavio, and eventually found him, front and centre, jerking and twitching far more than usual. It was hard to tell beneath the mask, but he was giving off a very angry energy. He had Caustic on one side and Bloodhound on the other, and both Legends seemed to be edging away from him, maintaining their intimidating presences but very much separating themselves from Octavio. There were no questions for the Legends today, just a small speech from Eve followed by a session of picture taking that gave Tae Joon a headache with all the grumpy frowning he was expected to do. 

They were all glad when it was done, and as they all grouped back to the kitchen for something to eat, every single one of them noticed the way that Octavio strode ahead and went to his room without a word. Tae Joon could understand not loving the limelight he was being scrutinised under, but he really had thought that Octavio had been born of the same mold as Elliott, and figured he would relish all of the attention. The atmosphere was strained as they ate, with no one saying very much. At some point, the big screen over the table had been switched on, showing once again Octavio's legend profile. The others began to filter out to get ready for the match, but Tae Joon lingered behind, his mind turning circles. He was so lost in thought he almost didn't notice when the screen changed to show something else. It was still Octavio, but it was showing something far worse. 

After watching countless bloody, explosive replays, Tae Joon learned that tomorrow was the anniversary of the day that Octavio lost his legs. 

-

The rest of the day had been an isolated one for Tae Joon. When he woke the next morning, it was at least to an itinerary he was somewhat familiar with.

He grabbed his gear, and headed out with the others to board the dropship.

-

It was no surprise, after what Eve had said, that he was placed on the same squad with Elliott, but at least this time Tae Joon didn't feel the same pull of irritation about the fact. What was strange, and, for Tae Joon at least, completely terrifying, was that Octavio was their third. Once again, this meant all eyes on his squad for Tae Joon, and more anxiety, but he would have thought that the Syndicate would have at least tried to spread out their gimmicks a little bit. Of course, it was entirely possible that they hoped that the feigned animosity between himself and Elliott would feed whatever reckless, destructive mood Octavio had already worked himself up into. 

As they stood side by side on the platform, Tae Joon found himself mirroring the actions of Bloodhound and Caustic the day before. Somehow it just felt dangerous to get too close to Octavio, as if he could go off at any moment. Tae Joon looked over to Elliott, who was, to his surprise, standing far closer to Octavio than anyone else had dared to for a while. He wondered if Elliott had figured out the same thing he had. When he looked across the ship at Ajay, who would know what day it was better than anyone besides the man himself, he saw that she, too, was watching Octavio through worried eyes. 

"Prepare for the jump," came the announcement. Tae Joon squared his shoulders, and saw both Elliott and Octavio tense up beside him. The platform lowered, the wind whipping Tae Joon's coat around his legs, and he saw that the path of the drop ship was starting directly over the Refinery.

"Looks fun over there," Octavio muttered, pointing straight down. 

"Uh, are you sure, buddy?" Elliot replied nervously. "There's a lot of other-"

"Yep," Octavio said, staring straight ahead as he launched himself from the platform.

With a small groan, Elliott leapt straight after him. Tae Joon hesitated, then followed suit, his eyes fixed on a small building to the side of the main station. He looked around for his squadmates, and saw that Octavio was headed for the huge building, flanked on each side by two full squads. He considered changing his angle to back him up, but he had gone too far and doing so would land him near the respawn beacon, out in the open with no loot nearby. 

He landed in one of the tall, circular structures, right on top of some mid tier body armour and an R-301. He grabbed the gun and ran to the other side of the building, having heard a set of footsteps close behind him. 

"Sending out my decoy." Elliott had followed Octavio to the station, but he was trapped in the upper levels from the sound of his frantic callouts, his pleas for a weapon useless as everything had been well looted by this point. Tae Joon decided to run towards his squadmates, hoping to take some of the heat off of them by laying down some covering fire.

"I'm hit!" he heard Octavio shout angrily through his comms. Elliott was still asking for a weapon, but he heard him call out a thermite as he sent it from the top platform, where it landed squarely in the path of the rookie who was trying to take Octavio out. They beat a hasty retreat as flames licked at them, shredding their armour and getting to work on their health. 

As Tae Joon entered through the huge doors at the rear of the station, he caught a glimpse of yellow out of the corner of his eye as Elliott vaulted from the platform and landed with a heavy thud on the tracks below. Elliott tossed a med kit to Octavio and Tae Joon stood watch while the daredevil hastily slammed the syringe into his wrist. The rookie returned to finish the job and was immediately melted by Tae Joon's rifle. He stood aside while Elliott and Octavio quickly rooted through their things, Octavio finding an Eva-8 and Elliott a Hemlock with only twenty rounds. As they turned to regroup, the sound of gunfire reached their ears, far too close for comfort as the rest of the rookie's squad finally showed on the scene. Tae Joon managed to tank a few hits due to his armour, while Octavio plugged his stim into his chest and rocketed away to the platform Elliott had just jumped from. Elliott himself was not so lucky, and as Tae Joon looked back he saw him on his knees, the squad advancing on him, weapons raised. 

A loud metallic thunk sounded just as Tae Joon had raised his rifle, ready to start firing even though he was shieldless and outgunned. He heard the familiar, tin can rattle that accompanied Anita, and in that moment he figured it was all over. She held a Devotion in her hands, the huge LMG poised and ready as she spotted Elliott desperately trying to crawl behind cover. Her eyes shifted, from Elliott to Tae Joon, before finally catching sight of Octavio overhead. Tae Joon braced himself, but instead of gunfire, he and Elliott were suddenly engulfed in thick, white smoke. Anita barrelled straight past them and towards the squad that had taken Elliott down, opening fire on the unsuspecting newbies and sending them packing. Tae Joon waited for her to come back for them, but instead he heard another burst of smoke on their position and then Anita's retreating footsteps. He heard her shout to her own squad that she had spotted hostiles on the other side of the station, and Tae Joon blinked for just a moment in confusion, before falling to his knees by Elliott's side, grabbing a res syringe from his kit and slamming it into Elliott's chest. 

"On your feet, idiot," he muttered. Even as Elliott gasped once the syringe hit his system, he still somehow managed to shoot Tae Joon a look that was somewhere between hurt and pissed off. Tae Joon jerked his head at the camera hovering high above them, and Elliott, having remembered the act they were supposed to put on in the ring, intensified his scowl.

"Alright kid, let's just get this over with," Elliott said as Tae Joon pulled him to his feet.

The last of Anita's smoke was dissipating now, and they found two death boxes close by with enough meds in to at least get Elliott moving again. Octavio was a blur above their heads, not making any call outs, shooting wildly into the air at random moments, jumping from rooftop to rooftop with his jumppad, alerting anyone who may be nearby with all the noise he was making. It was a wonder no one else had taken a shot at them yet, but their good fortune ran out when they came across two squads mid fight, caught like deer in the headlights as Octavio landed smack dab in the middle of both teams.

"Octane, fall back!" Elliott shouted over the comms as he and Tae Joon slid behind the cover of a nearby rock. 

"Firing!" they heard Octavio shout. Elliott groaned as Tae Joon tossed his drone into the air. He recalled it at once when he saw how close the squads were, all six of them converging on Octavio like a pack of wolves. 

"I'm down!" Octavio bellowed, sounding absolutely furious. Tae Joon was finding it hard to feel sympathetic; it was hardly as if he and Elliott were to blame for the mess he had gotten himself into. Still, he watched Elliott take a deep breath before sending a decoy around the side of the rock. The ping on their HUDs was almost instantaneous. They heard the chime of Octavio being taken out for good in their ears. Elliott looked down at his readout. 

"Only forty four percent," he said in regards to his vanishing act. 

Tae Joon looked around. "Come on, this way," he said, grabbing Elliott by the upper arm and pulling him to a hollowed put freight container. He settled low to the ground and pulled out his control cube.

"Watch my back," he instructed. He tossed his little drone into the air once more, piloting it expertly into the middle of the fight, avoiding bullets and explosions on all sides. He zeroed in on Octavio's death box, hovering at the side to retrieve his respawn card.

"I have the banner," he told Elliott, recalling his drone and collapsing the controls.

"You do?" Elliot asked, surprised. "Oh, the drone. Huh. Clever."

Tae Joon felt a small pull inside of his chest, but he ignored. "Commoh," he said.

Elliott winked at him. "Yeah, alright, whatever. Don't go getting even more big headed on me," Elliott grumbled.

"Says you," Tae Joon shot back. 

Elliott shrugged. "Look, trains coming in. Could be a quick getaway."

"Could be a trap," Tae Joon countered.

Elliott slapped him on the back. "Stop being such a killjoy. It's a train! Come on! Choo-choozled! Wow, I actually said that out loud."

"You say so many things out loud," Tae Joon groused, but he followed Elliott anyway, jumping on to the rear carriage of the train that had already been thoroughly looted. The train was already beginning to move when he landed and he swayed slightly on his feet. He saw a glimpse of yellow as Elliott landed on the centre car, but other than that it seemed unoccupied and they managed to ride it all the way to Capital City. 

Their first thought was to respawn Octavio atop one of the partially completed buildings, but it seemed as though anyone who hadn't landed with them in the Refinery had landed there instead. They had to fight through a squad just to move on to the next nearest beacon, which was all the way over near the Epicentre. The advantage was that in taking out the squad, they found themselves with an abundance of loot, and had enough shields to heal up and still have plenty to spare for when Octavio came back in. 

Tae Joon ducked into a small trailer to deploy his drone while Elliott went and crouched beside the beacon, a decoy standing on the more exposed side as insurance. As he hastily fed Octavio's card into the reader, Tae Joon watched his back. His drone triangulated on some movement coming from just beyond the hill, and he shouted a quick warning down the comms.

"Mirage, hurry!"

Elliott's head snapped up just as an arc star thunked into the side of the beacon. Elliott's sacrificed his shields to get the respawn off just as Makoa came thundering into view, a signal grenade clutched tightly in his hand. As the respawn ship roared overhead, Elliott had no choice but to make a break for it. He dropped his Hemlock and body shield on the ground, activating his Vanishing Act and disappearing into nothingness. Tae Joon, watching through his screen, was temporarily stunned. Even his drone couldn't seem to pick Elliott up.

Makoa dropped his airstrike just as Octavio landed. He bolted past Elliott, who was just flickering back into view, leaving him in the dust. Tae Joon activated the drone's EMP, shredding the shield Makoa had dropped to protect his squad from his airstrike. They tried to run for cover, but it was too late; Makoa was downed and out, dropping his lone squadmate, a new guy Tae Joon had never seen before.

"The other has a self res shield," he muttered over the comms. Octavio turned back to finish them off, and was immediately clipped with a Kraber shot. Changing tack, he raced to the building Tae Joon was holed up in, as Renee, Anita and Natalie appeared over the crest of the hill. 

Elliott skidded inside the building a moment after Octavio, desperately recharging his shields. Outside, a new fight had broken out, with the three girls being suddenly taken on by Caustic and Bloodhound, with Ajay nearby, lining up a shot with her Triple Take. 

"Last two out there," Elliott said with a pained voice. "Crypto? What's going on?"

Tae Joon sighed. "Caustic is there," he said, as they all watched a cloud of green gas blossom outside.

"Well, yeah," Elliott muttered. "Anything else?"

There was a beat. "Caustic is there," Tae Joon repeated.

Elliott shrugged. "Yeah, ok, fair enough."

As they tried to regroup, a stray frag grenade sailed through the windows, taking out Elliott's freshly repaired shields and utterly dropping Tae Joon. As Elliott raced to pick the hacker back up, they both saw Octavio turn to them, and so much of the anger and tension he had been carrying for so long seemed to leave him in an instant.

"Amigoes," he said softly, as Tae Joon slammed a syringe into his wrist. "Eh... sorry." He paced back and forth for a moment. "I didn't mean-"

"It's alright," both Tae Joon and Elliott said as one, even as they were desperately trying to put themselves back together. 

"No, it's not," Octavio replied. There was still an edge of anger about him as he walked over to the window and peered out at the skirmish that was still going on. Tae Joon was finally back up, his drone still hovering over the fight, and he pulled out his controls again to see what was happening.

"Octane, come away from the window," Tae Joon warned him as he twisted the cube in his hands. "They could be watching."

"I hope they are," Octavio growled. Elliott walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, which was quickly shaken off.

"He's right," Elliott said. "You wanna stand there like an open target and get yourself killed?"

Octavio relented, clearly torn between his own anger and his desire not to let his team, his friends, down.

"They'll have to catch me first," he said, as Tae Joon disappeared behind his screen.

"They already caught you once," Elliott pointed out.

"Eh," Octavio said with a shrug.

"Caustic is down, as is LIfeline. It is just Bloodhound against the three of them." There was a small boom in the distance. "My drone had been destroyed." Tae Joon stowed the controls in his pocket once more and looked over to them.

"Any chance Bloodhound looked like they were gonna be able to take 'em all out?" Elliot said with a mirthless laugh. 

"I shouldn't-" Tae Joon began, and then the unmistakable sound of a Kraber shot rent the air. Tae Joon's shoulder felt as though it had been disintegrated. He fell to his knees, his whole body on fire. Elliott rushed over to help him, but someone was laying down covering fire through the window and he couldn't get close. Another Kraber shot, and for Tae Joon, the whole world went dark.

Last time he had 'died' in the Games, he hadn't woken up again until the match was long over. This time, it was almost instantaneous, as Tae Joon found himself sitting in a chair that had been molded to him so perfectly that he didn't need to support himself at all. He looked down at his shoulder, the scent of lavender in the air, and saw it was perfectly healthy and whole. Feeling a little out of it, he lifted his head to take in his surroundings. It was a small room, very small, with a door to his left with a small circular window near the top. The walls were lined with wires and machinery, and there was a low hum in the background. His coat had been removed already, and a needle stuck into the crook of his elbow. He didn't seem to be in any pain, and as the fact that he had somehow been teleported to a strange chamber didn't seem to be bothering him too much, Tae Joon had reason to believe that the lavender scent wasn't just there to make the place smell pretty.

Directly in front of him was a screen showing the match. Tae Joon blinked a few times and he saw Bloodhound swim into view, just as a blast from Renee's Eva ended the match for them. The camera switched to show Elliott and Octavio, still bunkered down in the small building. Elliott looked rough; there was blood coming from a wound at his hip, and an angry red mark peeked out from beneath the cracked goggles on his forehead. Octavio was desperately digging through Tae Joon's death box, but Tae Joon already knew he had nothing left to help the other man. The angle switched once more to show Anita and Renee looting Bloodhound's death box, with Renee making a request for shield cells and Anita coming up short. 

He watched as the IMC soldier shouldered her heavy sniper. "Last round," she muttered to her squadmate. He watched as Renee fixed her sights on the house Elliott and Octavio were hiding in. In her fist she held Natalie's banner card, which she dropped gently on the ground. 

"No more beacons," she sighed to Anita. 

"Roger," Anita replied. She lifted her chin towards the building. "Got Octane and Mirage in there. Already added Crypto to the kill list, heh."

He saw Renee's expression momentarily harden, and the way Anita seemed to give a tiny nod in response. His mind drifted back to that moment in the station, when she had screened him with her smoke and gone after a different target whilst he had picked up Elliott. He understood from the looks on their faces that that would never have happened if Octavio hadn't been on his team. They seemed to get that something was out of whack about today as well.

"Still," Renee said with a shrug.

"Right."

Renee held her wrist with her hand, pushing her arms out in front of her. "Setting a portal," she confirmed. Anita waited by the swirling, purple tear, her eyes fixed on the building through the scope of her Kraber. "Portal placed," Renee announced.

The angle switched again. It showed Elliott, his back against the wall, gun raised, facing the door. Renee spotted him at once through the barred windows, and she could see he was in a bad way. She rushed the door, kicking it open and pulling the trigger of her Eva. Her smug expression of certainty changed to one of panic as 'Mirage' disappeared in front of her. She heard the click of a Wingman being primed, and turned just in time for Octavio to take her out with a few close range headshots. 

Anita had stowed her Kraber and was now approaching with her Devotion drawn having heard Renee's shouted warnings. Octavio dropped a grenade in front of Renee just as Anita turned the corner; it finished Renee for good and took off a large chunk of Anita's shields. She fired blindly into the house, before retreating back to the portal Renee had left behind to heal.

Octavio laughed. "Hey amigo, why so slow?" he taunted Renee's death box. Looking inside, he found nothing in the way of aid, not even a measly syringe. 

"Just Bangalore left though," he said, turning to Elliott. "Oh... compadre..."

Elliott was on the ground, bleeding out from Anita's panicked spray. Octavio stood watching him for just a moment too long, and Anita's last Kraber round streamed through the window and caught Octavio on the shoulder. He fell to his knees, pushing himself into a corner, his vitals dangerously low as Elliott crawled over to him.

He managed to get Elliott back up, but they were now both hurt, bleeding, and completely out of heals. 

"Sorry compadre," Octavio said. "I guess I'm just supposed to lose today."

The camera switched to show Elliott, who seemed to be having some internal struggle if his expression was anything to go by. He looked over to the window, making sure they were both out of sight, and then back to Octavio, his mind seemingly made up.

"No, compadre," he replied in a terrible accent that made both Octavio and Tae Joon wince. "I am."

Octavio shook his head. "We can't beat her, Mirage. No more shields, no more kits. No more." He held his hands out, palms facing upwards, and shrugged. 

Elliott grinned. "Like ma always says," he said, beginning to unstrap the holo projectors from his arms. "If you can't beat 'em, fool 'em."

Octavio watched, his face a picture of confusion, as Elliott began spacing the discs along his arms. "Mirage... what are you doing?"

Elliott said nothing, his tongue between his teeth in concentration as he began sliding the small, metallic cards from his chest belt and holding them up to the light, just as he had done that day in the workshop.

"Warning. Ring closing."

Octavio shifted on his feet. "Perhaps it is time for plan B, amigo," he said as Elliott seemed to find the one he was looking for. Elliott slipped the strap from his wrist, pulled out the card that was slotted inside, and tossed it over his shoulder. Then he put the device on Octavio and held the card he had found up in front of him. 

"How about Plan 'O', " he began. He slipped the card into the strap. "You- you know. For Octane?" He cleared his throat just as Octane seemed to catch up. "Anyway, I'll go out first... try to distract her. Then you. You just have to, you know... point." He demonstrated by giving Octavio a quick finger gun salute. 

"Ell- Mirage, we can't..." Octavio protested.

"Sure we can." Elliott looked at him with a small shrug. "I mean, today we can." 

He pulled Octavio to his feet and they headed for the door. They both stared straight ahead as Octavio moved from foot to foot, the holo projectors rattling as he did so. 

"Man, I hate Gauntlet Day," Octavio muttered. 

"Yeah well, maybe next time use a jump pad instead of a live grenade?" Elliott suggested, a hint of mischief in his voice. 

"Ah, si," Octavio replied sarcastically. 

"Alright, let's go," Elliott said. He ran from the house in a straight line, looking neither right or left, hoping that without his decoys he could rely on an old trick. The angle switched to show Anita tracking him through the sights on her rifle, not shooting, believing him to be a decoy. When he finally spotted her out of the corner of his eye, he turned and opened fire, removing what was left of her shields before it only took one bullet to take away everything Elliott had left to give. 

"Bad news, I'm-" He didn't even get to finish his sentence before Anita ended his match. The camera turned to Octavio, standing in the shadow of the doorway, waiting. 

"Ok," he said to himself. "Just... point."

At once, a figure materialised in front of Octavio, a shimmering copy of himself, running in his strange fashion towards Anita, perfect in every detail, right down to the green trail left behind by his stim.

Anita raised her rifle and fired, her expression turning to one of shock and anger as Octavio burst into a shower of blue pixels. Octavio didn't hesitate. Throwing down a jump pad, he launched himself high over the head of the soldier, pumping the last of his bullets into her skull.

Before he had even landed, a smooth voice rang out through the arena announcing that they had their Apex Champions.

Octavio landed heavily on the frozen ground, his breath short. A match of being shot at and respawned and plugging himself full of stim finally caught up with him and he dropped to his knees. He looked back at Anita's death box, his shoulders shaking with laughter, sending the holo projectors cascading to the floor like confetti where they did not fit him as snugly as they did Elliott. 

"Hey compadre," he said to the box. "You got bamboozled." He slumped to one side, his smile hidden by his mask as all around him kalxons blared and cameras flashed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My own little headcannon is that the things we know about the legends private lives aren't generally released to the public unless they mention it in an interview or something, hence Tae Joon not knowing about Elliott's brothers. 
> 
> Hi if you're still here, by the way! And thank you so much for the kind words and kudos. Means the world.


	3. Chapter 3

It took him a moment to react, but in an instant everything that had been crowding Tae Joon's mind since he had started getting to know his fellow legends disappeared. The false sense of safety and security, the idea that not everyone he met was out to get him, it all vanished in that moment. It didn't matter that they were kind, or even that some were suffering as he did. All that mattered was getting out. He had thought that being inside the Games was safer, and the best place to find the truth. Now he realised just how stupid he had been. The Games were just another way to paint a target on his back.

What Elliott and Octavio had just done was bound to cause trouble. They would all be under close scrutiny from the Syndicate now, even Tae Joon, who was guilty by no more than association. Whereas before he had been warming to Elliott, he was forced to admit now as he wrenched the IV from his arm, that perhaps he had fallen for the idiot's charm as much as anyone else did. Elliott was friendly and at the same time, exuded an air of vulnerability that made hating him like kicking a puppy. His arrogance was easy to see through, and Tae Joon was not yet cold enough to buy it. But he had been wrong again; he saw now that the first thing you had to learn about the Elliott to keep from getting caught off guard should have been the most obvious thing: It was all just a trick. Sooner or later he'd prove himself as much as a liability as everyone else, perhaps even more so. The whole time he had been bickering and then trying to make nice, Elliott had been doing what he always did; shining the spotlight on himself. The problem with that is that he was using Tae Joon to do it, catching him in the crossfire of his desperate need to be adored.

Tae Joon could no longer handle the eyes on him, could no longer dare to be seen by standing in the light. Everything he had worked so hard for had come undone the moment Elliott had slipped that card onto Octavio's wrist. 

He headed to the door, pressing the release on the side, a small hiss escaping as it slid open. There was already someone on the other side.

"Oh," Eve said, surprised. "Going somewhere?"

Tae Joon, his head cleared by his own panic, nodded. "To see Elliott," he said quickly.

Eve nodded. "Ah. He's in the med wing. Seems he knocked his head pretty bad when Bangalore took him out. He's fine though, so no need to worry." She smiled, sickly sweet and false, and Tae Joon felt very much as though he were trapped.

"And Octavio?" he asked.

Eve smiled even wider. "Poor guy's out cold," she said, but there was a hint of pity in her words. "You should look in on him. Be one of the few people to see him standing still. Or, laying still, I guess." She laughed, but this time it was a low and throaty sound. A genuine one. Tae Joon didn't smile in response.

"Anyway, I wanted to be here to tell you not to worry. You're not in any trouble. Hell, you were well out of the match before they pulled their little stunt." She began walking, and Tae Joon felt he had little choice but to follow her.

"What will happen to them?" he asked as she led him in a brisk pace down a corridor lined with many doors like the one he had just stepped through. 

Eve paused. "Well, there's already a meeting going on. It's alright. It's hardly the first time something has stirred up the Games. Wow, back in season one we had these three teams of rookies all banding together and-" She stopped, catching the look on Tae Joon's face. "The thing is," she pressed on, "no matter what, you're going to be fine, this isn't on you. Your place the Games is safe." She trailed off slightly, making a face which Tae Joon interpreted correctly.

"But?" he prompted.

Eve shook her head slightly and sighed. "Between you and me," she said in a low voice, "that might not be a good thing."

Tae Joon looked at her, perplexed. "How is that not a good thing?" he asked suspiciously. Eve's straight, white teeth worried at her bottom lip, leaving red stains on the edge. She looked around.

"They're expecting you to be a dick about it," she said plainly. There was no hint of a phoney smile about her now; in fact, she looked utterly miserable. "They want you to be."

Tae Joon looked over his shoulder. "Why?" he muttered.

Eve looked at him darkly. "You're not stupid Hyeon." It was the first time she had used his real name, or at least, what she thought was his real name. "You saw what they did to Octavio today. Shoving it down his throat what had happened, then making sure all the attention was on him."

"They wanted something to happen," Tae Joon said levelly.

Eve nodded. "Don't think this was quite what they had in mind though."

Tae Joon shook his head. "That still doesn't explain why they would want me to condemn them, though," he said darkly.

"Why do they ever want anything?" she said. "Money. Doesn't matter how you really feel, Elliott's the main draw when it comes to merchandise. There's a whole legion of horny fans just clamouring to buy his calendars. His sales don't need boosting but if they can be boosted, well..." She trailed off with a knowing look at Tae Joon. "So if there's some newcomer with a Mirage shaped chip on his shoulder, especially one who can be as cutting as you, no offence, they'll be crying out to support him."

Tae Joon frowned.

"Yeah, I know," she continued. "But the numbers don't lie. The public think you're kind of a jerk." She paused. "Sorry."

Tae Joon didn't quite know what to say. "But you think I should, what, stand behind them?"

"I do. When they come to ask you, and they will, lie through your teeth. Say you thought it was very noble, or whatever, that Elliott's some kind of honourable rebel, and I guarantee bulky coat sales will be through the roof within a week."

Tae Joon looked away. "It would not be a lie," he said quietly. "Well, the honourable rebel part would be."

Eve smiled. "Then it'll be that much easier."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" he asked suspiciously. 

Eve sighed. "Look, I know I'm no one's favourite person around here. But I go out there, smile my smile and pretend I don't see half the things they do, and my son gets to have dinner every night. But this thing with Octavio... I mentioned I wasn't pleased, but honestly, I have to put my kid first, not like jobs are just falling from the sky." She sighed. "But this is different. I mean, you wanna be here, right? Don't think I could have stopped Octavio from letting them get to him, but I can warn you."

She led Tae Joon to the medical wing, and after she had gone, he was still wrestling with the idea of going to his room, grabbing his laptop and taking the first ship away from the World's Edge. He was in trouble, he knew it, but he was closer than he had ever been before. He knew that competing in the Games was a risk, but he wouldn't have even considered it in the first place if he wasn't prepared for what could happen when he did. 

And he was so near to something, he could feel it. Every day he felt as though a little something more was revealed to him, and he wanted so much to get to the bottom of everything and go home, wherever that would turn out to be.

And yet, a small voice nagged at him, and yet. To leave now, after everything he had been through, to turn his back on all he had accomplished so far... The very thought of it made his stomach turn. He couldn't leave, not now. As he raised a hand to knock on the door of Elliott's hospital room, he made the decision to stay. To take Eve's advice and sing the praises of the two idiots who had placed him in so stressful a situation. 

"Yeah?" Elliot sounded rough, but Tae Joon had expected as much. He set his jaw and stepped inside the room. 

"Elliott," he said softly, closing the door behind himself. As he turned around, he saw Elliott sit up a little straighter in his bed. He paused, noticing the way his eyes were a little unfocused, taking in the bandage at his temple. He felt something within him ache a little. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Elliott smiled, a slow, sleepy action that carried very little of his usual charm. "Right as rain," Elliott said. "Wait, is rain right? I suppose it must be, I guess, but-"

"Good," Tae Joon cut in before Elliott could go off on one. He moved a little closer to the bed. "I am told that Octavio is fine also."

Elliott's expression seemed to clear a little. "Told by who?" he asked.

Tae Joon smiled slightly. "By Eve. She-" Tae Joon hesitated. "She said that seeing him sleep was a rare sight, that I- we should go see him."

Elliott shifted a little. "Pssf, I've seen the little maniac sleep," he said dismissively. "Not often, mind."

"How's your head?" Tae Joon asked.

Elliott rolled his shoulders. "Hurts," he said. "But I'll live." There was a moment of silence.

Elliott took deep breath before speaking. "Hey, Hyeon? I, uh, I'm sorry." 

Tae Joon looked at him quizzically. "For what?" 

Elliott looked distinctly uncomfortable. There was a slight blush creeping up his cheeks. "For what I did. It wasn't fair on you but Octavio... I mean, I felt bad for the guy, you know?"

Tae Joon tensed up. The thing was, as much as he understood why Elliott had done what he had, as much as he felt for Octavio, some small part of him was still furious for the position he now found himself in. "It's... alright," he managed to force out through gritted teeth.

Elliott looked slightly relieved, but not much. "It's not though, not really. I mean, Octavio and me, we've been here a while. Got our fans, got our sponsors. We know how much we can get away with, but you... You're new. And I know how much of a struggle it is to get on that legend ship, the months and months of getting by on your own, bleeding and scraping your way up the table. I remember thinking I was never gonna be good enough, and-" Elliott stopped himself, the blush returning to his cheeks. "Thing is, it's not easy to get here. And if what I did has jero- jepi- jeapordised that in any way then yeah, I'm sorry."

Elliott slumped back in his pillows, the speech taking what little strength he had out of him. 

Tae Joon said nothing. For just a moment he had allowed himself to believe that everything could be ok. He had taken on board everything Eve had said, and while trust did not come naturally to him, he hadn't found a reason not to believe her. Standing up for Elliott and Octavio was the easiest option, and he was certain it would endear him to the fans, but now Elliott had gotten him thinking. It didn't matter if the fans were in his corner if the Syndicate thought the new guy was going to be trouble. They might decide he wasn't worth the effort or the money if he was already causing them headaches by his second match. He frowned. Eve had been right though, this was really nothing to do with him. He had just had the bad luck of being on the wrong squad at the wrong time. Unlike Elliott, Tae Joon had no leverage to maintain his place in the Games. Standing against the Syndicate could very well be the mistake that ended his Legend career. 

"Penny for 'em?" Elliot cut in.

Tae Joon shook his head. "It's nothing." He breathed out heavily and looked around the room. In time, there would be cameras on him, wanting his official stance on the whole debacle but right now, here, in this room, he could at least be honest. "What you did was very kind. Stupid, but kind. And quite clever."

"Stupid and clever?" Elliott said with raised eyebrows. "Looks like I'm ticking all the boxes today."

Tae Joon smiled. "Its true. It was reckless, but the likeness to Octavio was uncanny. I maybe owe you an apology for a few of the times when I have called you an idiot."

Elliott didn't smile in return. "Gee, thanks," he began sarcastically. "That really counts for a lot. Coming from you, I mean, the guy who just got here."

Tae Joon blinked. "Fine," he said stiffly, turning to leave.

"No, wait, hold up," Elliott said quickly, his hand on Tae Joon's wrist to stop him. "Ok, that was harsh, but look, I know I'm not everyone's kind of guy, I get it. But I didn't get here on my looks alone, ok? I know I'm good at what I do, and I don't need a pep talk from some new guy who's batting zero for two. Maybe I don't know how to hack into a secure whatever, and maybe I don't know how to pilot a little robot friend and yeah, maybe sometimes my mouth tries to say words my brain won't let it, but I know holo tech, it's kinda my thing. So yeah, I know that decoy was good because I made it, and it was a hell of a lot of late nights making 'em. And, well, I take care of my friends."

Tae Joon considered this for a moment. "Is that why you left me to bleed out on the battlefield?" he asked, but his tone was not a serious one.

"Exactly," Elliott replied with a wink. He put his head back on his pillows and then snapped it back up almost as quickly. "Hey, at least we won. Was watching the replay before you came in." He pointed to the screen above his bed where the match was running on a continuous loop.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Tae Joon said cagily. 

Elliott looked at him with confusion on his brow.

"I take it back," Tae Joon muttered. "You are an idiot."

"Hey!"

Tae Joon sighed with exasperation. "What you did surely broke a few rules. There is no chance that win will stand."

Elliott rolled his eyes. "Obviously. But hey," he pointed to the screen, showing Octavio laughing, the projectors dropping to the ground. "Looks like a win to me."

Tae Joon looked over. He hadn't had a chance to watch it yet. He had gone straight from the chamber to the med wing. He felt something sharp and warm inside his chest as he watched the daredevil drop down to his knees, his smile hidden but obvious from the way his shoulders were shaking. He remembered the way Octavio had been in the clinic, anxious and lost, the way they had manipulated him into reliving the worst day of his life. Tae Joon needed no more reasons to hate the Syndicate, yet they kept giving them to him anyway. 

"Yes," he agreed, his voice firm. "It does." Finding the truth was so important, but so was not losing sight of why Tae Joon was putting himself through all of this. Justice meant nothing if it was not for all. Ignoring the way others suffered at their hands to further his own pursuit for revenge was a vicious cycle in the making. When they came to ask him, Tae Joon knew he would not betray his team.

Tae Joon needed to change the subject before his anxiety threatened to bring on a full blown panic attack. He shook himself a little and looked down at Elliott, at the bandage on his head.

"I am curious," he began. "How is it you are injured again this time, but I am not?"

"Well, it's because you're so much stronger than I am," Elliott replied drily. Tae Joon glared at him. "Hit my head, didn't I?" he said, stretching. "You only got shot."

"Only?" Tae Joon asked, his voice slightly elevated. 

Elliott laughed. "Yeah. Getting shot and getting hurt, it turns out, are two different things."

Tae Joon shook his head. "How does that even work?" 

Elliott snorted. "Beats me," he said. "You telling me a genius like you can't figure it out?" He grinned playfully at Tae Joon, who huffed in response, but couldn't help tacking a wry smile on the end.

"Aw, this is nice," Elliott said with a wink. "You and me, old enemies, hanging out."

"Enemies is perhaps a bit much. If anything, you were just being very annoying towards me." Tae Joon said with a shrug. 

"Me? Uh, do I need to remind who tried to rips who's arm off? You did kinda start it." Elliott stuck his tongue out at Tae Joon.

"What are you, five?" Tae Joon responded wearily. 

"Trust me," Elliott said with another wink, a quick finger gun salute thrown in for good measure. "Nothing about me is a five."

Tae Joon opened his mouth to respond but suddenly the door to the room burst open and Octavio bounded in, looking as though he had never so much as even seen a bullet in his life. In his hands he held a ratty looking brown paper bag, which he threw at the foot of Elliot's bed without a word. Then he jumped onto an overstuffed chair that was next to Elliot's bed, crouching down in it but not sitting, as was his usual style.

"Amigo!" he cheered happily at Elliott, ignoring Tae Joon completely. "Did you see?"

"I saw," Elliot replied with a slight shake of his head.

Octavio laughed. "Oh man! It was incredible! Anita didn't know where to look!"

"But we're definitely going to be disqualified. And maybe suspended," Elliott pointed out. 

Octavio just grinned and waved his hands. "But what a way to go, hey compadre!" Octavio seemed absolutely thrilled, and it was so infectious that even Tae Joon couldn't help but crack a small smile. "You are a genius, my friend, I mean it!"

Elliott nodded, his face lit up with the praise. "I know, I know. But don't say it too loud." He jerked his thumb at Tae Joon. "This one here thinks I'm an idiot."

Octavio looked over at Tae Joon.

"Still?" he said.

Elliott opened his mouth to say something else, but Tae Joon beat him to it. 

"Not still," he said simply. 

"Gotta say compadre, I'm a little offended," Octavio said with a small shake of his head. "You really think I run like that?"

Elliott fixed him with a glare. "If you didn't, it wouldn't have worked." 

Octavio tilted his head. "Ok. But still. You gotta see the replays again! Don't think Anita will be speaking to either of us for a few days!"

Elliott smoothed down his bedsheets. "Maybe by the time I get out of here she'll have cooled off." They looked at each other, before both men promptly dissolved into peals of laughter. 

"No way, jose," Octavio replied, prompting more laughter from both men. 

Tae Joon coughed. "Do you- do you have decoys of us all?" he asked.

Elliott nodded. "Even you, grouchy."

Tae Joon's interest was piqued. "I have not been here long enough, surely?"

"You've got vanity shots. Now I've seen you walk, talk, hold a gun. Not my first rodeo kid. Why, feeling violated?"

"Yeah, a little," Tae Joon replied. 

"Probably because it is a little creepy," Elliott conceded. "But no more creepy than the beams you project into our heads from that little drone of yours."

"Amigo, it is way more creepy," Octavio interjected. 

"Hey!" Elliott protested. "Whose side are you on?"

Octavio merely jerked his shoulders in response.

"I'd like to see it, if that's alright," Tae Joon said.

"Sure. Once I get my gear back we can... can..." He trailed off, his gaze suddenly drawn to the crumpled bag at his feet. "Is that...?"

Octavio leapt from his chair, grabbed the bag and upended the contents all over Elliott's bed. "It's all here," he said, trying to sound innocent. Elliott's face fell as he surveyed the disaster before him. Many of the small holo projectors were cracked and bent, and the small device he usually wore on his wrist was in two clean pieces. His face fell.

"I have an older version back at the complex," he told Tae Joon with a level tone that said he simply couldn't deal with the mess that Octavio had brought him right now. 

"Thank you," Tae Joon said. "I hope you feel better soon."

"Uh, thanks," Elliott replied. Tae Joon gave his goodbyes and left, but a lifetime of eavesdropping caused him to hesitate by the door for a moment. 

He heard the gentle metallic click of Octavio's legs as he moved across the room.

"Compadre," he heard Octavio say softly. "Gracias."

"Hey, you, my friend, are very welcome," came the reply. 

-

Elliott was discharged from the medical wing the next morning, and by lunchtime all three men found themselves sitting in the conference room, small and sheepish as Eve stood in front of them, explaining the consequences of their actions. It was just the four of them in the room; the reporters were thankfully absent, but Eve had warned them that they were still to come. People bet money on the Games, she reminded them, and their little stunt had caused no end of headaches for the higher ups. Luckily, the Syndicate's word was gospel, and if they said that the win went to Bangalore and her squad, there was very little the crying masses could do about. Still, they had to make an example of them, even Tae Joon, who had told her very plainly that he would not condemn their actions.

"So, here's what was decided," Eve said, perching on the edge of the table. "Obviously your win was disallowed, and all kills were removed from your stats. Also," she continued, taking a deep breath, "you have each received a two match suspension, as well as a ban from all Apex events outside of the arena."

"Oh man, does that mean..?" Elliott said with a whine.

Eve nodded. "Yes Mirage, you won't be going to the Legend retreat."

"Well that sucks," Elliott grumbled, folding his arms.

"Retreat?" Tae Joon asked.

Elliott turned to him. "It's supposed to be a reason for us to train a little, get up to date with all the latest weapons, but really it's an excuse for us to go somewhere quiet, away from everyone, and get totally wasted."

Tae Joon snorted. "I see."

"It's great, amigo. Last year Elliott tended bar and then Makoa and his husband made barbecue. Anita got out of it on whiskey and used her smoke launcher to set off fireworks. Ajay tried to climb up this weird palm tree and I had to jump up to get her down." Octavio grinned. "Don't really remember much after that," he added as an afterthought.

"I do," Elliott interjected. "You wanted to see if you could get Path drunk, and then you somehow got me involved, looking up ways to inebriate a robot. When it turned out we couldn't, you got all sulky and cracked a stim into Renee's glass. Guess the voices must have warned her cause two seconds later she'd slammed you on the pool table, where you remained for the rest of the night." He turned to Tae Joon. "See? Told you I'd seen him sleep."

Eve cleared her throat. "Alright," she said gently. "Excepting all that, you are going to have to do a few press events, apologies and all that and-" Here she paused, a mild look of anger flickering across her face- "We would prefer the reason for your antics to be, well, your own hubris. In no way are you to reference the... anniversary."

Octavio scowled at her. "Yeah, I figured as much," he said bitterly. "You wanna tell me what all that was about?"

Eve twisted her fingers together and could not meet Octavio's eye. "I can't really... talk about... I mean..." Her eyes wandered over to Tae Joon briefly, and he shifted in his chair. 

"A virus," he said quietly.

"What?" Elliot asked. Octavio turned to look at him.

"I mean, not a serious one. But there could be a way to download a diminishing virus to Pathfinder that would mimic the experience of being drunk. I wouldn't advise it, they can cause unpredictability in AIs, but it's still very possible."

"Don't you dare," Eve said severely, but there was a grateful smile on her face. "If you break him, you have to find us another murder machine to replace him."

Tae Joon held up his hands. "Just thinking out loud," he said.

The rest of the meeting went on without further mention of the Syndicate's underhand ways, and all the of them were relieved to finally get away. Octavio went to his room to vent some energy by exploding zombies on his computer, while Elliott disappeared into the workshop, muttering something about 'snow glare'. Tae Joon went to his own room and logged on to his computer for another night of fruitless searching. 

-

Eve had been right. The next few days were a whirlwind of press events, of phoney apologies compressed into soundbites they could show on the television at the end of the news, of photos where they had to wear hangdog expressions and where they got so tired of repeating the company line, that Elliott just wanted to see what would happen, that all of them were within an inch of telling the truth before the whole thing started to die down.

Away from the cameras, the week hadn't been any less strange, mostly down to Anita's cold indifference to Octavio, her complete refusal to talk to Elliott and a muttered warning to Tae Joon that he was on thin ice, coupled with Elliott's relentless attempts to change her mind. Not usually one to rise before noon, it was odd indeed to see Elliott awake and upright at dawn, and odder still to see him dressed in a tuxedo, a rose in one hand and a fresh cup of coffee on a silver tray balanced on the other. Every morning for a week he stood outside her room, crooning some old world song to her indifferent door. After a week of this, clearly she could stand no more, and opened the door to snatch the coffee from the tray before slamming the door in his face. A few days after that she took the rose, too, and shoved it down the front of his pants. That was also the day she finally broke her silence to him. To his credit, Elliott did what she asked and went away, although she hadn't put it quite like that.

The next day she made Octavio an energy boosting smoothie, not that he needed it, but she had watched him down his vile energy drink for breakfast once more through narrowed eyes, her chin resting on her hand as her face assumed a mildly disgusted expression and told him that enough was enough. Elliott happened to walk in just as Anita was starting to laugh at Octavio's reaction to learning what kale was, and she was halfway to telling the trickster the story before she remembered that she was mad at him. Tae Joon had watched and heard all of this on the fringes of everything, as much as he usually did, but he wasn't surprised that Anita was having trouble holding on to her grudge. As he passed Elliott in the hall, looking exhausted as he straightened his ridiculous bow tie on the way to Anita's, he had a feeling he would have had a hard time holding on to it, too.

He was a few more steps down the hall before he stopped, realising that that was exactly what had already happened. Once, thinking about Elliott caused his muscles to tighten, an irritating pull in his chest and a feeling of general annoyance. He had no time for the other man, and used to spare none of it thinking of him. Now, though, he had to admit, Elliott had taken him completely by surprise. Admittedly he was shallow and a little conceited, and not all of that was an act, but there were so many more humanizing things about him. In his mind Tae Joon had already separated him into two different people. There was Mirage, the insufferable idiot, and there was Elliott, who was more of an endearing goofball. Tae Joon may have harboured a deep dislike of Mirage, but Elliott he could tolerate. 

The day after, Anita had finally called time on Elliott's antics. She could see that all the early mornings were taking their toll on the man, and so announced at breakfast that she was now, mostly, over it, so long as Elliott didn't do anything else stupid. This was met with many calls of, 'well, he's screwed then,' and 'don't hold your breath', to which Elliott protested greatly and without any joy. 

It was strange to Tae Joon how easy it was to simply exist amongst them all. The only one who was still something of an unknown quantity was Caustic. Tae Joon rarely saw the scientist outside of the Games; he never ate with the rest of them, and barely spoke to them at all. He was not entirely cold, and would greet Tae Joon if he passed him in the halls, but he clearly had no interest in making friends. But, mad scientists aside, Tae Joon was beginning to understand his fellow legends, and was even starting to find a place amongst them. No matter how much he tried to exude an attitude of cold indifference, he couldn't seem to shake them off, or keep them from worming their way into his heart. It was everything he had spent so long believing made him weak, and he had no doubt about it being true, even now. 

The only problem was that it was, well, nice.

It was nice to not go days on end without speaking to another human being. It was nice to walk into the kitchen and see that Natalie had saved him a jelly doughnut because she'd noticed they were his favourite, and it was nice to help her mend her nodes while she told him stories about her papa. It was nice to hear Makoa's laughter ringing down the halls every so often, or the muted thump of Octavio's obnoxiously loud music. Sometimes Renee had trouble sleeping and would fall asleep at odd times in odd places when even the voices couldn't keep her awake any longer, and someone always found a blanket to put on her. There were just so many things that made the complex more than just a place to stay, that made it a home, and Tae Joon hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

So, naturally, he began to panic, his paranoia taking over as he began to isolate himself from them all. He had gone straight to his room after breakfast, locking the door behind himself and keeping the curtains drawn and the lights off.

Just as the sun was setting, Tae Joon's stomach informed him that it had been too long since he had last eaten something, as well as adding a small addendum that if he tried to fill it with watery microwave noodles again, there would be Problems. His computer was being stubborn as usual, and a ban from the upcoming matches meant no chance to poke around the arena. Sighing, he made his way to the kitchen to see what he could find. 

The complex seemed unusually quiet as he made his way through the halls. The kitchen was empty as he rooted around in the fridge, turning up all the ingredients for a vegetable stir fry. He set to work quickly, wanting to get done and back to his room, hoping to avoid the others for tonight. Every time he caught himself feeling that spark of fondness in his chest for something one of the others did, it made him want to withdraw a little more. He needed to remember why he was really here. 

He had tipped the vegetables into a pan and was pouring what was hopefully soy sauce from an unlabelled bottle onto the whole thing when he heard a muffled voice from the hall. Turning down the heat, he inclined his head a little towards the door.

"- good to hear, mom, really... Yeah, yeah I did. It's only two matches though... I did, yeah. You're not- you're not mad, are you mom? Oh... oh... right... of course... well, I learned from the best... thanks mom... yeah, ok... yeah, I love you too. Night mom."

Elliott came into the kitchen, practically beaming at the phone in his hand. He was still so busy tapping away that he almost didn't notice Tae Joon, who cleared his throat to stop Elliott from colliding with him.

He looked up and immediately put his phone away. "Oh, hey man," he said, still grinning. "How's it going?"

"Fine," Tae Joon said, turning back to his vegetables. "You seem to be in a good mood."

Elliott faltered a little. He patted the pocket he had placed his phone in and shrugged. "Had to ring mom. Tell her what happened," he explained.

"I take it she took it well?" Tae Joon replied.

Elliott's smile returned to full power. "She said she had four boys, she's spent most of her life watching us get into trouble." Tae Joon was having trouble really connecting how happy Elliott was with the fact that he, a grown man, hadn't been told off by his mother. 

"Yes... I can imagine," Tae Joon replied. Elliott was bouncing on the balls of his feet now. Tae Joon could feel a smile creeping over his own face. 

"Sandwich!" Elliott suddenly proclaimed. "That's why I came here."

"Did you not eat with the others?" Tae Joon asked as Elliott began pulling more things than should really go into a single sandwich from the cupboards

Elliott shook his head. "They ate early. They have to be up super early for this training thing tomorrow. Course, we don't have to go," he added slightly grumpily. "Which is great in a way cause I think I've had enough early mornings to last me a lifetime."

Tae Joon took his pan from the heat and shook the vegetables out onto a plate. "Looks good," Elliott said apreciatively. "Not much of a cook myself. Unless it's pork chops, course." 

"It's really very simple. I am not much of a chef myself. This is about as complex as I go." Tae Joon grabbed a fork and leant against the counter. "Would you like some?" he offered.

Elliott shook his head. "You weren't cooking for two," he said comfortably. "I'm fine with this." 

Tae Joon's eyes widened at the sight of the monstrosity Elliott had put together. He seriously doubted the thing's structural integrity, and the amount of mayonnaise Elliott had slathered on could only serve to make things worse. 

"I see," Tae Joon managed eventually. 

Tae Joon ate his stir fry while Elliott ended up wearing most of his sandwich, with Elliott smiling every so often and laughing to himself. 

"She must have been very strict when you were younger," Tae Joon said. "If you are this happy to not be in trouble with her."

Elliott almost spat out the mouthful he was chewing. He swallowed thickly and shook his head. "No way, mom's the best. It's just..." Elliott trailed off, placing his plate down on the counter. "She said she had four boys," he finished with a shrug. 

"I don't follow," Tae Joon replied.

Elliott sighed deeply. "Sometimes I talk to her and it's four boys. That's a good day. Sometimes it's three, or two. Sometimes she doesn't even remember my name." He looked away, squaring his shoulders. Tae Joon thought back to the conversation he had overheard Elliott having with his mother back in the workshop. It made sense now. 

"I... I'm sorry," Tae Joon said.

Elliott was starting to look uncomfortable. "S'ok," he muttered. "Like I said, today's a good one." He sniffed slightly, and Tae Joon immediately felt guilty for ruining his mood. Elliott clearly picked up on this, as he straightened up and looked over at him.

"Hey, didn't I say I was gonna show you your decoy? He's not as good looking as mine," he said, winking. "But so few people are."

"I am slightly busy at the moment," Tae Joon replied, thinking of his computer screen glaring out at him blankly in his dimly lit room, offering him nothing but more questions as he grew even more desperate for answers. He sighed. "Maybe in half an hour?"

"Hey, it's a date," Elliott said, walking to the doorway. He paused and quickly turned on his heel, a pink flush creeping up his cheeks. "Not- I mean, it's not a date, course it's not, people say- I mean, it's just a thing people say, you know? Not a date."

For his part at least, Tae Joon was completely baffled. Until Elliott had started blustering, Tae Joon had barely even registered what he said. 'It's a date.' That really was something that people said. Strange people who thought it was funny or witty or original or whatever, but still, he had heard it once or twice in his lifetime. 

He nodded stiffly at Elliott, who left very quickly without another word. He was just rinsing his own plate when his hand froze in mid air and his expression changed to one of pure terror. Very slowly, his hand lowered back down to the counter, his mouth still hanging open. Was it, and he felt his whole body tense up at the thought, that Elliott had developed some sort of, well, crush on him, or something? Almost immediately he dismissed the idea as ludicrous, and then just as quickly his brain supplied him with several reasons why it was, in fact, entirely possible. For starters, it had probably been a long time since Elliott had run into anyone who wasn't exactly falling over themselves to love him. He seemed entirely the type of person to see that as a sort of challenge, as if Tae Joon was some sort of mountain that Elliott had to conquer. Secondly, and it hurt him to admit it, but it had been so long since Tae Joon had interacted with anyone, well, romantically, that he couldn't help but wonder if what he thought had been spiteful banter had, in Elliott's mind at least, been flirty teasing? He ran a hand over his face. Elliott was expecting him in his room in half an hour.

He decided that the best course of action would be to simply not turn up. If it was just a casual visit to see his decoy, then it wouldn't be a big deal. If it was something more to Elliott, then Tae Joon's absence would send a message, loud and clear to the other man that he wasn't interested. He didn't feel bad about it, why would he? He owed nothing to Elliott Witt, even if his ribs twinged in protest at the thought. 

As he turned to skulk back to his room and lock the door, he heard the pistoned legs of Octavio Silva approaching. It made sense that all three of them would be bumping into each other more often, what with the suspension, but he was still too shaken with his worries about Elliott to really want to talk to anyone else. He dived out of the kitchen, quite forgetting in his haste that no one could outrun Octavio. 

"Hey, compadre! Hold up!"

By the time Tae Joon had stopped, Octavio was already standing in front of him, a hand on his shoulder.

"Just wanted to say, thanks again for sticking up for me and Ell. You're kinda the new guy around here, big risk, so yeah, thank you." He squeezed Tae Joon's shoulder fondly.

"It is fine," Tae Joon said. "In my eyes, you both did nothing wrong."

Octavio nodded, bouncing from foot to foot in his usual manner, his arms jerking at his side. "Speaking of Elliott, did you see him just a minute ago? I just passed him in the hall. He had that look on his face. You know, the one he gets when he can't get a word out? Like, I dunno..." Octavio floundered, looking slightly pained. 

"Like he is angry with himself," Tae Joon finished for him. "It was a... nothing." Tae Joon felt himself starting to flush now, not wanting to embarrass himself or Elliott by recounting their little conversation. Still, the idea that Elliott may be somehow angry about the whole thing didn't sit right with Tae Joon. If he genuinely was harbouring, well, feelings for him, he thought, his insides squirming, he didn't want to be a dick about it. There were limits to that sort of thing Tae Joon knew, and things you had to be careful with and take seriously. 

"Nothing?" Octavio repeated suspiciously. "Look, amigo," he said, his tone carrying a slight edge to it. "Maybe lay off Ell a little? I'm not saying he can't take it, but it's kinda making you look bad."

Tae Joon frowned. "So I have heard," he muttered. "But you..." Tae Joon stopped himself. It was easier to for Octavio to think that Elliott was furious at Tae Joon for being a jerk rather than perhaps the possible causes he had been thinking of in his head. "You are right. I have been unfair to him."

He bowed his head ever so slightly, and turned to leave. Hesitating, he opened his mouth, thought better than to say anything else, and closed it again. 

When he got back to his room, Tae Joon found that he couldn't concentrate on anything but the digital clock next to his bed. This was, well, new. Tae Joon had had partners in the past, though perhaps not as many as he would like, but this part of life was still odd and a little scary to him. It made him feel stupid, and if there was one thing Tae Joon wasn't, it was stupid. But still, it definitely did make him feel that way, as here he was, worked up over wondering the best way to tell a man who hadn't really done anything to imply that he was interested in Tae Joon that he wasn't interested in him in return. It was enough to make anyone's head hurt. 

In preparation for the Games, Tae Joon's research into his fellow legends really hadn't been much more than a few casual glances at their profiles on the official site, and perhaps a few interviews caught from magazines here and there when he was moving from place to place. After a few hesitations where he tried to convince himself that he was just being ridiculous, he pulled Elliott's, or rather, Mirage's profile up on his computer. He hadn't really read it properly the first time, but there was no information there to help him anyway. Just the usual hype, a detailed breakdown of his abilities, a few clips of him in the arena. However, at the bottom there was a recent update, added on since they had all moved to the World's Edge. A paragraph from some interview they had all done just after Tae Joon had brought down the tower.

"Why did I become a Legend? One reason: women. I kid. Real reason? Beautiful women. Sorry. They say I use humor as a defense mechanism, but hello... self-deprecation is my defense mechanism. Humor’s my crutch. Or maybe my fallback? I don’t know, one of those. I guess at the end of the day, the Games give people a reason to cheer. Aren’t a whole lot of those left in the Outlands these days. Cool to be part of that. All I have to do is die young. So…yeah…anyhoo, I’m just pulling your leg, it’s totally for the babes."

It was funny how setting his mind at ease in one aspect had triggered a fresh set of worries in another. It was rare to see the mask slip in so public a way. Tae Joon wondered if Elliott even knew this had been published on his page for all the world to see. His eyes roamed over the paragraph once more. At least he could put Elliott's fumbling down to Elliott just being, well, Elliott, and not something more. He glanced at his clock once more. He was already ten minutes late.

Tae Joon knocked on Elliott's door, feeling about as relaxed as a man on the run from an evil corporation really could. After a few moments of waiting there was no answer, so he knocked again.

"Hang on, hold on, I'm coming," he heard Elliott call from inside. He rolled his eyes. The door opened and Elliott appeared, one arm cradled against his chest to support any number of small, complicated looking pieces that Tae Joon assumed had something to do with his holo tech. He jerked his head as an invitation to Tae Joon to come inside, standing away a little to allow him to enter room. The action sent a few items tumbling from his arms, but Tae Joon swiftly reached out and caught them.

"Hey, nice relf- real-, nice catch," Elliott said. Tae Joon smiled at him, and saw that little look of frustration on his face soften. 

"Thanks," he said. "What is all this?" As he stepped into Elliott's room, Tae Joon was a little disappointed. He had hoped that an armful of engineering meant that Elliott was just as cluttered and untidy as he was. It turned out this wasn't really the case. Elliott's room was filed with things, but it was a sort of organised chaos, with nothing out of place but something in every place. The only part of it that even resembled Tae Joon's room was the table, which was piled with battered cardboard boxes, pieces of wire and plastic and clunky looking holo projectors. Everything else was sort of, well, it was Elliott. Or at least, Tae Joon thought as he looked around at all the posters and letters and photos pinned to the walls, it was Mirage.

In one corner, Elliott had set up a television and sofa, and the whole area was plastered with images of his own face. Compared to this, Elliott's space on the dropship was actually quite tame. No matter where he looked, Elliott's grinning, winking face stared back at him. The whole effect was quite overwhelming and very, very yellow. 

"Wow," Tae Joon said, not quite sure what he meant by the word. Elliott rubbed the back of his neck once he had freed up his hands. 

"Yeah, I know, but what can I say? The people love me." He paused for a moment. "Plus, people put a lot of effort into these things, ya know? Don't wanna be a jerk about it." 

Tae Joon looked back at the corner. He had to admit, most of what was on display did seem to be things sent in by his numerous fans. Tae Joon himself had received nearly fifty letters and cards and other gifts from his fans already, as well as several proposals of marriage. He idly wondered how many times a week Elliott had people ask to marry him. He vaguely recalled glancing at these sorts of things when he received them before adding them to the various piles in his room, and he was now feeling very crappy about it. 

Elliott walked over to the table and placed his hands on his hips.

"Alright," he said, motioning to Tae Joon to come over. "This is the best I can do right now," he said, waving his hand over the mess. "Funny story; this is the actual kit I wore my very first match. My, uh, my mom made it, but I was so cocky I thought I could make it better. It malfunctioned halfway through and I got Krabered by some woman who doesn't even compete anymore." All of this was said in a smooth voice with a sly grin. Tae Joon wondered if he ever switched off. "I've tweaked it a bit since then, gotten better, of course, but after three more matches I just gave up on it and started again. Bamboozle two point oh."

"And where are you now?" Tae Joon asked, picking up one of the projectors and examining it. 

"Honestly, I've lost count. They're kinda fragile, but I guess most things are when they're getting shot at. This one, though, it works, but it doesn't work like it should. Here, I'll show you." Elliott beckoned Tae Joon over. 

Tae Joon walked over and Elliott moved to grab his arm before stopping. Tae Joon lifted his arm slightly, expectantly waiting for Elliott to start clipping the devices to him. When Elliott didn't, Tae Joon looked up. 

"Is there something wrong?" he asked. 

Elliott shrugged. "You remember how last time we were this close you tried to twist my arm clean off?" 

Tae Joon looked down at his feet. "I regret that," he said softly. 

"It just seems weird to ask permission to grab your arm now." Elliott sniffed a little, one hand still poised over Tae Joon's wrist, the other reaching for the first of the holo projectors. 

Tae Joon paused. "Its - I mean, that's why I came here," he said, lifting his wrist a little higher. Tae Joon had left his coat in his room and was wearing a long sleeved shirt over his vest now. The clips slid on easily, and, unlike the ones that Elliott wore now, these had heavy buckles that secured them underneath. Elliott's face was a picture of concentration as he checked the spaces between them. He paused at one just above Tae Joon's left elbow and frowned. To Tae Joon, it looked just like all the others, but Elliott clearly wasn't satisfied with it. He pulled it back off again and tossed it over his shoulder, replacing it with another from the table.

"What-?" Tae Joon began, but Elliott didn't look up.

"There was a misalignment in the refraction prism. I mean, it was-" He looked up at Tae Joon, who had understood the words but clearly still had no idea what Elliott was talking about. "Woulda made you look all wonky," he explained. "But only in the elbows."

Tae Joon laughed. "Oh no," he said with mock severity. 

Elliott paused. "Was that a joke?"

"You're a joke," Tae Joon responded at once. For a split second, his whole body tensed up again and a spike of self-loathing shot through his body. 

"Oh, he's quick," Elliott replied, the ghost of a smile on his lips. Despite this, Tae Joon still felt like a bully, and he didn't smile back. 

Elliott sighed deeply. "Its ok, seriously. Can't have everyone love all of me, all the time. I mean, I'm close..."

Tae Joon rolled his eyes. "I am not... I do not dislike you, Elliott Witt. I would not be here if I did. When I say these things I am, I- I do not know what I am."

Elliott finished strapping the holo projectors on and then held up his hands, as if in surrender. "Whoa now, this is me doing a favour for a guy who sort of hates me in the hopes that maybe he'll hate me a little less, not a hug 'n' share. Besides, seems like I already got my wish, if what you say is true. Over there."

"Excuse me?" 

Elliott pointed to a corner near his bed. "Stand there. He's going to need room to move."

Tae Joon did as he was told, walking over to the hastily made bed, it's cover crumpled and its pillow still bearing a large dent. Feeling a little foolish wearing all the strange devices on his arms, Tae Joon waited with his hands held together at his waist while Elliott began searching for something and muttering. 

"I know I left it here somewhere," he was saying to himself, lifting the boxes from the table and checking underneath them, patting himself down. "Or maybe I left it in the workshop..?" He looked over to Tae Joon, who was still standing very stiffly, and snorted. "Ok, relax buddy. Make yourself at home." He pointed to the door. "Just gotta grab something." He left, and then poked his head around the door not two seconds later. "Oh, and if a woman name Lisa calls, you never heard of me. If Evelyn calls, tell her I'll call her back." He winked and left again. Tae Joon looked about the room. On the table next to Elliot's bed lay his phone, his screen saver a picture of Elliott with his arms around an older woman. It was the same picture Elliott had framed in the workshop. The phone suddenly beeped, causing Tae Joon to actually flinch away from it. A message flashed up on the screen and Tae Joon, forgetting himself for a moment, read it.

'Mr. E. Witt. You have an appointment with Dr. Lisa McKinnon tomorrow at noon. Please respond yes or no to this message to confirm.'

"Never heard of him," Tae Joon muttered out loud. With all of the gadgetry on his arms, he almost felt as though he had been shackled, which in a way was a good thing as the temptation to reach out and interfere with the various trinkets that littered Elliott's living space was almost overwhelming. He could see the little action figure, striking the familiar pose, it's plastic face completely devoid of emotion, and some mischevious part of him wanted to arrange it into a rude position. He shook his head. He honestly didn't know when he had started acting so childishly. Mila often told him he looked like he had come into the world as a middle-aged accountant, and yet suddenly he was being frivolous. He had a dim recollection of winking at Elliott on the train. He was fairly certain that was the first time he had ever winked in his life. 

His eyes wandered over to the dresser at the foot of his bed. On top stood a huge mirror, and yet Tae Joon seriously doubted that Elliott would be able to see much in it at all. Almost every inch was covered in more art from his fans, only these ones seemed to be a lot smaller and rough, cartoonish little doodles on yellow sticky notes and scribbled on napkins. There were other things stuck to the mirror, like ticket stubs and receipts, a few photographs. Hanging in the furthest corner, barely visible, was a set of dog tags.

Tae Joon wasn't exactly surprised. Everyone had grown up in the middle of a war, and a lot of people from the Outlands had served. Elliott was from Solace, if he remembered correctly, and he knew that most able bodied people their had taken their turn in the Militia. He couldn't see the tags well enough to know who they belonged to; for all he knew they could be Elliott's own, and he had absolutely no desire to find out. The war had gone on for so long and it had been so brutal and destroyed so much; reminders weren't fun and memories were necessary. 

There was a click as the door was shut once more and Elliott walked in, taking a moment to pause in disbelief at the way Tae Joon had pretty much remained exactly where he had left him. "You were free to move around, man," he said with a soft laugh. 

"I was nervous about damaging your equipment," replied Tae Joon. Elliott immediately shot him a lewd wink to which he responded with a frown. "I only meant," Tae Joon continued, his voice level, "that I was concerned that this device held some sentimentality for you."

Elliott looked momentarily stumped. "Well, yeah, I guess," he said. He held Tae Joon's gaze for a moment, then seemed to compose himself. "Anyway, I found what I was looking for." He held up a small card, one instantly recognisable to Tae Joon as the same one he had used to recreate Octavio in decoy form. He walked over to Tae Joon, then leaned over him to grab something from his bedside drawer. He was close enough that Tae Joon caught a whiff of whatever scent he was wearing; it smelled like citrus. From his drawer, Elliott produced his wrist device. He held it up, and Tae Joon dutifully offered his arm out. The way Elliott's fingers brushed his skin made him shudder, and Tae Joon felt a panic settle within him that he couldn't comprehend. 

"Ok," Elliott said, looking over the devices on Tae Joon's arms. "You're good to go. Just... point," he said, demonstrating. He stood back to give Tae Joon some room.

Feeling strange, Tae Joon raised his arm, a finger held out in front of him. There was a soft hum as the decoy materialised in front of him. It took a few steps, then stopped. Tae Joon watched, fascinated, as the holographic version of himself seemed to furtively glance around, placing a finger to its ear. It then began to flicker, becoming nothing but a mass of bright blue pixels before reforming. 

"Yeah, like I said," Elliott said, sounding mildly embarrassed. "It doesn't work quite like it should."

Tae Joon couldn't even answer. It was incredible. He'd never seen anything so strange and surreal before. He was looking at himself, and though he knew it wasn't him, he suddenly understood how people fell for Elliott's illusions so often. The detail was amazing. He had trouble finding fault with it.

"How..?" was all he managed to whisper. 

Elliott seemed completely pleased with Tae Joon's response, and as the decoy shimmered away into nothing Tae Joon was still captivated. 

"May I... may I do it again?" he asked timidly.

Elliott waved his hand. "Be my guest." He smiled, a warm, comforting sight that was the most genuine smile Tae Joon had ever seen on the man. Perhaps this was how Elliott reacted when people praised his mind instead of his charm, and just the sight of it seemed to upset whatever balance he had been forced to find since this whole mess had begun. For a second, Tae Joon forgot about the hologram, about why he was in this room.

Then he shook himself, seeing the expectant look on Elliott's face. Tae Joon pointed again, all sense of discomfort forgotten as once again he materialised in front of himself. This time, Tae Joon took a step closer to properly examine the decoy. It was perfect, right down to the cybernetics in his jaw, and the few misplaced hairs that someone had missed at the nape of his neck. 

"I thought..." Tae Joon began, finally tearing his eyes away from the illusion to look at Elliott, who was wearing an expression of breathless happiness, a slight blush at his cheeks. "I thought it would be wearing the same clothes I wear in the ring."

"It's not, like, well, it's not like that," Elliott started to explain. "It looks like you look right now, cause you look like you look right now." Elliott frowned. "I mean, those little things on your arms. They sort of scan you, then recreate you out of light. The way it acts though, that's on me. Programmed all your little quirks and mannerisms into that card."

"And this is how I behave?" Tae Joon asked as the decoy waved a hand to produce a keyboard of light out of nowhere. 

"Oh, no, geez," Elliott said quickly, tossing his head. "That is how Crypto acts." He pointed at the decoy, which fizzled away once more. "If he acted like you I'd have programmed it to, I dunno, throw a punch at me or flip me off or something."

Elliott smiled and shrugged, and Tae Joon had never disliked himself so much in his life. Part of him suspected that Elliott was manipulating him, trying to make him feel bad, and damn it all, it was working. 

"I thought perhaps your skin was thicker than that?" Tae Joon replied defensively. 

"I'm joking," Elliott assured him. "I won't hold a grudge against a guy for getting one over on me."

Tae Joon was stubbornly refusing to give in now. It wasn't as if Elliott hadn't been giving back as good as he got. "And I won't hold a grudge against a guy who tried to make me feel like I had failed on my first day because of a broken jump kit."

Elliott looked away. "I really did that, didn't I? Ok, that was a dick move. I'm sorry."

"And I won't hold one for being left to bleed out while Octavio was having a bad day." Tae Joon quickly shook his head. "No, a terrible day. I am not judging him for his actions here. I'm judging you." Tae Joon was actually starting to get angry now, but whether it was in self defence or just a genuine reason to be angry at the other man, it didn't really matter. All he knew as he stood there, his arms covered in Elliott's holo tech, the walls plastered with images of his stupid, grinning face, having a nice time, of all things, he wasn't any closer to finding the truth, and everything that Elliott did somehow put Tae Joon closer to being found out. 

"What the hell is your problem?" Elliott demanded, looking confused and angry all at once.

Tae Joon just wanted to get out of there. He began wrenching the holo devices from his arms, the same ones he had been so careful and delicate with earlier. He threw them on to Elliott's bed while Elliott just watched, ummoving.

"You insist on placing me into situations I do not wish to be in!" Tae Joon spat, seeing red and completely losing control now. "Do you know how much you could have cost me with your little stunt?"

Elliott's jaw was tight as he stepped forward. "Then why did you come here?" he demanded. "And since when was it 'my little stunt'? All those little itre- enter-, damn it! Sound bites about how you would never betray us, how you had no regrets and all that crap?"

Tae Joon stayed his ground. "Don't be an idiot," he growled. "I'm not some useless pretty boy with an army of bored and lonely housewives to back up my place in the games! I said what I had to say!"

Without another word, Tae Joon stormed to the door. He actually felt like weeping. Angry tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. He couldn't understand what had just happened, and hated how much it was affecting him. He and Elliott had spent so little time together, and most of that had been on the battlefield. He needed to hate him. He shouldn't care if Elliott hated him back.

"Wait," Elliott called softly to his back. Tae Joon felt the tension in his chest relax just a little. He turned around. 

"Yes?" he asked, the hard edge to his voice softer now. 

"The control strap?" he said, his voice now completely numb as he pointed to Tae Joon's wrist.

Tae Joon screwed up his eyes in frustration, yanking the device from his wrist and tossing it on Elliott's bed along with everything else before finally storming out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: This whole story was written around the scene with Crypto's decoy. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Tae Joon wondered how he was ever supposed to get to sleep as he slammed his way back into his own room. He was the type to let arguments and ill feelings fester, to replay the ordeal over and over in his head, getting angrier and more upset each time. He wanted to lash out, but he needed to keep his cool. Taking a few deep breaths, he sat down in his chair and switched his computer on.

His bad mood was almost driven from his mind completely when he saw a message waiting for him.

Dearest TJ,

Your last message was a welcome one. I am glad to see that the club has only given you a temporary ban, but you were right to stick up for your friends. Everyone here thinks it was the right think to do. 

I know the search for the right woman is fatiguing you, but stay the course. She is out there waiting for you. 

I'll be at the shop for the next three days. Just got some new stock in, you should come and take a look if you can.

Stay safe. Forever family,

Mystik x

Tae Joon quickly re-read the whole message, then deleted it from his inbox. The shop was a little place on Solace where Mystik had run to hide when Mila had been taken. It wasn't a shop so much as a bunker, hidden just on the edge of the city, with access to various networks. In Tae Joon's memory it looked like a paranoid hacker's fever dream, with screens glowing in near darkness, every wall covered with newspaper clippings and stolen documents and photographs. He'd only been there once, when an attempt to break into the Syndicate's offices had resulted in him having to run, gunshots grazing his hair and shoulders, and he had spent the night huddled in a small, abandoned shed in the pouring rain, waiting for the bleeding to stop so he could get back to Mystik without leaving a trail. Remembering nights like that, so many, all pain and running and hurting and hating so much, they were supposed to keep him focused, and now here he was, cloistered away safe and sound getting worked up over what some pointless idiot was saying to him. Elliott Witt had no idea what it meant to ache so hollowly, to hate, to rage and scream and yell. Elliott Witt had never been afraid like this. He scrubbed his tired eyes with the heels of his hands and sighed.

His suspension was well timed, it seemed, as there had yet to be another match, what with all the controversy. All he had to do was keep his head down, and avoid Elliott like the plague. He was excited to see Mystik again, and hoped that whatever she had to tell him, it would soon mean that he no longer had to compete in these terrible games.

He went to sleep after a while that night, a mixture of excitement and resentment coiling around inside of him, filling his dreams with bullet wounds, ghosts, and the faint scent of citrus.

-

When he woke, his mood was slightly improved by the fact that the whole complex smelled faintly of pancakes. He braced himself for the inevitable fact that it had probably been Elliott who made them, and switched on his computer, ignoring the grumbling from his stomach. After he had logged in and started his usual, fruitless scan of the Syndicate's network, he leaned back in his chair, a small headache beginning to form at his temples. 

He closed his eyes, moving his fingers in small circles against his head, the cool, flexible polymer that coated his fingertips a welcome relief. Suddenly, there came a knock on his door. It was slow and rhythmic, with each of the three knocks spaced perfectly apart. 

Tae Joon warily got to his feet and opened the door just a crack. Through the small opening he saw a small screen, projecting a happy, smiling face at him. He took a step backwards and opened the door. 

"Good morning, Pathfinder,"

"Hi friend! I have been experimenting with human culinary techniques and this morning I have made pancakes. Would you like some?" Pathfinder spoke without preamble, and seemed to sway where he stood, as though he were too spindly to support himself completely in the gentle air currents that flowed through the building. His screen flickered expectantly, while Tae Joon considered his proposal. 

"I thought you were away training today?" Tae Joon asked, stifling a yawn.

"Not me, friend! I don't need to train, I just download the new tactics and strategies into my memory files." Pathfinder gave Tae Joon a thumbs up. 

"Isn't that like cheating?" Tae Joon said with a frown.

"Not at all. As I have explained in many interviews, a training programme can only tell me what to do with myself. It cannot allow for human variables! You are all very unpredictable!" 

Pathfinder seemed elated that human beings were an unpredictable lot. But then, Pathfinder seemed elated about most things. 

"Is Elliott in the kitchen?" Tae Joon asked, hoping that Pathfinder wasn't yet human enough to ask why he wanted to know.

"Friend Mirage has already had some. He said they were great. Then he had to leave." The screen flickered to show a smiling face with hearts for eyes. Tae Joon dimly remembered reading an interview where Pathfinder had referred to Mirage as 'his best friend'. He made a mental note to hold his tongue around the MRVN. 

"Very well," he said. He locked his computer and then the door behind him as he followed the robot down to the kitchen. He hadn't really spent much time with Pathfinder, but the robot seemed amiable enough.

As they both rounded the doorway to the kitchen, Tae Joon was forced to stop dead in astonishment. Every available surface, including the chair seats and inside the oven, was covered in pancakes. 

"Friend Octane said I may have made too many."

Tae Joon nodded slowly. "Friend Octane is correct," he said.

Very carefully, Tae Joon manoeuvered himself into the room, while Pathfinder pulled another stack of pancakes down from on top of the refrigerator.

"How many would you like, friend?" Pathfinder asked, holding up the huge pile of cakes. "Would twenty be enough? I have syrup."

Tae Joon looked at Pathfinder, who was standing looking back at him expectantly, not a hint of anything false about him. Something inside of him seemed to snap at the sight. He couldn't help it. Tae Joon began to laugh. It was as if all the anger and the stress of yesterday had finally reached breaking point, and it seemed that being offered nearly two dozen pancakes by a smiling robot was what finally caused the dam to burst. Tears streamed down his cheeks as Pathfinder leaned forward at the waist, a question mark popping up on his screen. 

"Friend Crypto? Do you require comfort? You appear to be weeping." Pathfinder's arms shot out like pistons.  
Tae Joon flinched back.

"They are tears of laughter, Pathfinder," Tae Joon assured him.

The question marks on Pathfinder's chest multiplied. "So humans cry when they are both happy and sad?"

Tae Joon nodded, still shaking with laughter. "And when they are angry also sometimes," he managed to wheeze out. 

Pathfinder straightened up and seemed to consider this. "Sometimes I think I must be lucky to not he able to cry, it all sounds very complicated." He paused, letting out a modulated sigh. "Although sometimes when I am happy or sad, it is hard to let people know. Was that a yes to the twenty pancakes, friend?"

Tae Joon's laughter gradually subsided. "Maybe I'll just start with three," he said. He watched as Pathfinder dutifully scooped three from the stack in his hands and placed them on a plate. "Do you get sad, Pathfinder?" he asked as the robot handed him a fork. 

"Oh yes. I have been looking for my creator for a very long time now, and often I am forced to admit it is getting less and less likely that I will find them. This makes me sad. I am not like any other MRVN I have ever met. I want to know why." Pathfinder picked up a small, glass bottle of syrup and offered it to Tae Joon, who shook his head. 

"You must not give up hope of finding them," Tae Joon said heavily. He could tell that Pathfinder was watching him expectantly, so he cut into the stack with the edge of his fork and took a bite.

Now this, he thought, chewing slowly, was going to be another one of those 'tact' things. Around a mouthful of quite possibly not only the worst tasting pancake Tae Joon had ever eaten, but also maybe the worst tasting pancake ever made, Tae Joon managed a grimmace. He swallowed thickly, his gag reflex letting it's displeasure be known, but he managed to keep it down.

"Just out of interest, how many did Elliott have?" he asked, his eyes desperately searching for something to wash the awful flavour down with. 

"Just one here," Pathfinder said happily.

"A whole one?" Tae Joon couldn't keep the incredulous surprise out of his voice. 

Pathfinder nodded. "That's right. But he took a lot with him to finish later. It was his idea that I come ask you to have some! He must have really enjoyed them to want to share them with his new friend!"

Tae Joon scowled. Part of him wanted to make Elliott pay for this, but mostly he just never wanted to see the man again. Pathfinder was still looking at Tae Joon, somehow radiating a kind of apprehension on Tae Joon's opinion. 

"Are they alright, friend?" the robot asked nervously. 

Tae Joon nodded. "Is there, um..." His usually quick brain fumbled. "Is there flour in this?"

Pathfinder nodded. "Yes friend! It is the primary ingredient of pancakes!"

Tae Joon nodded again. "I thought so. I am allergic to flour, unfortunately. So, even though they taste so good, I best not have any more." He put the plate back down on the nearest surface, upsetting a large stack of pancakes in the process.

"Oh no!" Pathfinder said, his screen now displaying an exclamation mark. "I would not want to make you unwell."

"Apologies, Pathfinder. Perhaps Octavio would like some," he said, feeling a little bad about lying.

"Friend Octane informed me that he doesn't partake in any breakfast he can't drink out of a can." 

Tae Joon looked around at the piles and piles of terrible pancakes. "What will you do with all of these?" 

"First I will dispose of them. They will be no good by the time everyone else returns. And as both you and friend Mirage have told me they are good, I do not need to try again!" 

Tae Joon hesitated. "What if they were bad?" he asked. 

Pathfinder thought for a moment. Tae Joon could hear various parts of the robot whizzing and turning. "I would try again. I already know the quantity was excessive, so I would make less, and hopefully make them better. Even I have to learn some things friend!" 

Tae Joon hesitated. "Can you not just download the recipe into your data files? Then you would know they were good instead of having to test- I mean, letting your friends tell you."

Pathfinder began to tip tray after tray of pancakes into a large bin. "I could. I used to. But when I view information through my visual receptors and interpretet it through my processors, it is more like human learning. I would like to do more human things. These days the only things I download are programmes the Syndicate wishes me to know so I can be a better legend!"

Pathfinder continued to throw away the pancakes, but Yae Joon was frozen in place. Suddenly, it was as if a light had come on inside Tae Joon's mind. All of this time he had been using programmes that not so long ago he had been employed to defend against to try and hack the Syndicate's systems. And yet, the whole time he had been in the presence of a way in, a way whose defences could be bypassed by the mere fact that Pathfinder could choose to, given the right kind of persuasion. And in the end, wasn't he 'friend Crypto'? Pathfinder may have seemed almost human, but, well, he was just a robot after all. Tae Joon almost hated that he liked him, and that he felt guilty about what he was planning. He took a deep breath. 

"Pathfinder?"

"Yes, friend?"

"The pancakes are awful. They taste bad."

Pathfinder's arm, which had been shovelling more pancakes into the trash, fell to his side. The screen on his chest went completely blank, and the robot slumped, still standing. For a moment, Tae Joon worried he had caused some huge malfunction in the robot, then the screen flickered back to life with its customary happy face. 

"Thanks for the feedback, friend! It is a good thing I had not finished clearing all these away, or I would have nothing left to analyse. How strange that friend Mirage enjoyed them! You humans really are a diverse bunch."

Tae Joon hesitated. He was loathe to say anything against Pathfinder's best friend, as it were, but at the same time, he too wanted to get in good with the robot. 

"I think perhaps Elliott did not wish to hurt your feelings," he said warily.

He watched as Pathfinder did the usual thing of trying to process what he had been told. His screen flashed to the love hearts smiley face once more. "That was very kind of him. He knows how much I have been trying to have feelings!"

Tae Joon shook his head slightly. "I hope you will not think badly of him now."

"I could not! Friend Mirage is the reason I am here, and hopefully the reason my creator will see me compete in the Games one day and seek me out! Thank you very much friend Crypto!"

Tae Joon left the kitchen feeling as though someone had showered him in poisoned sugar. Once in the ring, Pathfinder was one of the last people you wanted to see, methodical and precise and utterly, utterly terrifying. Outside of it, he was like some sort of bizarre metal child, and doing anything to upset him seemed like the worst kind of bullying. Tae Joon passed Octavio in the hall, who didn't stop but shot him a shit eating grin to let Tae Joon know he knew exactly what had just happened. Tae Joon responded with a glare, and wondered if Elliott had told the daredevil about their little spat.

He was stopped on his way back to his room by Eve, who was once again wearing her phony smile. 

"Crypto!" she said happily. "Just the man I was hoping to see!"

"Oh no," Tae Joon deadpanned.

Eve laughed. "Fair enough. But I have good news!" She rummaged in the bag she had hooked over the crook of her elbow. "Look!"

From the bag she produced a small, plastic replica of his drone, perched on a thin, clear tube to give the impression that it was hovering over its small blue stand. Tae Joon looked at it and frowned. 

"How is this good news?" he asked.

"It is! What did I tell you? Since you came down on the side of your squad, demand for Crypto junk has skyrocketed." She beamed at him. "This is a good thing, trust me. Gives you a little more leverage." She handed the toy to him. "They're gonna start churning these out en masse at the end of the week."

"I'm thrilled," Tae Joon replied sarcastically.

"Good," Eve replied with just as much sarcasm in her own voice. "You're gonna want to hold on to that."

Tae Joon shot her an exasperated look. "Why?" he asked warily. Eve looked away.

"Well, seeing as you guys have some time off, PR thought this might be a good time to pad out your profile a little, do a few flavour interviews, you know?" Eve smiled, while Tae Joon let out a long suffering groan.

"I know," she continued. "Don't worry. People seem to appreciate your brooding nature, so you won't have to talk too much."

"This is all so ridiculous," Tae Joon complained. 

"Ridiculous, but necessary. You know how people are." Eve looked down at her phone.

Tae Joon sighed. "When does this all start?" 

Eve bit her lip. "Fifteen minutes? Great. It's only Ted doing the interview, he'll meet you in the conference room after hair and makeup."

"Why do I need to be preened for an interview?" Tae Joon said through gritted teeth.

"Oh. The photographer's coming down too," Eve said, looking at her feet.

"I miss when not doing interviews was part of my gimmick," he grumbled.

-

Tae Joon soon found himself sitting across from a bored looking Ted Jones in a smart suit. He introduced himself as a journalist from the heavily edited magazine produced by the Syndicate to go hand in hand with the games. He seemed to have forgotten that he had met Tae Joon before. 

"So, as you may have heard," he began, as a small voice recorder stirred beside him, "the antics in your last match have made people wonder. What if you could share your abilities? How would you feel about, say, Bangalore piloting your drone?"

Tae Joon tried to seem disinterested. "I no doubt believe that she would be a more than capable pilot, but it would surely be detrimental to her performance to not use the abilities with which she is so well practiced." He crossed his legs, while beside him some idiot with a camera snapped away. He turned from the flash, having made it well known he was not fond of having his picture taken. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pathfinder pass by carrying two enormous sacks of what Tae Joon could only assume were terrible pancakes. A small laugh escaped him, and Ted looked momentarily taken aback. 

"Something amusing?" he asked. Tae Joon remembered he was supposed to be the dour, surly one, and rearranged his face into a more serious expression. 

Tae Joon shook his head. "Nothing," he said lightly. 

"Alright," Ted continued slowly. "Next question. Which ability would you like to adopt from another legend, if it were at all possible?"

The stoic, cool look on Tae Joon's face faltered, his breath catching in his lungs. Tae Joon's mind was filled with images of his holographic form, the way the older devices caused it to shimmer and flicker like crystal, and how it had silently burst into a mesmerising shower of blue pixels. He swallowed thickly, feeling a heat rise up inside him as he remembered the awed look on Elliott's face as Tae Joon had been captivated by his work, the way his smile had seemed to transform him. He realised he was taking too long to answer and coughed slightly, sitting up a little straighter in his chair. 

"Wattson's fences are incredibly useful," he said flatly.

Ted nodded, waiting for Tae Joon to elaborate, and when he didn't, Ted cleared his throat once more and looked down to his tablet for the next question. 

"And lastly, do you still stand by your squadmates and their actions? Some people are saying it was all an act, that you still retain some dislike for Mirage. Is there any truth in that?"

Tae Joon blinked a few times, before arranging his face into a more neutral expression. "None at all. We are all here to win. There is no reason we cannot do it, as Bloodhound might say, with honour."

"But surely what Mirage did was cheating, and therefore dishonourable?"

Tae Joon looked up at Ted. "What Mirage did was noble, regardless of right and wrong. He has been punished for his actions so there really is no need for further debate, surely?" Tae Joon looked away. "It was circumstance that put me on the same team as those two, it could have been anyone, and I know any of my fellow legends would have stood by them just as I have. Perhaps in the ring we are at each other's throats, but outside of it, I have come to understand we are more like a family." Tae Joon wanted this whole thing to be over now. With most of the others away for the day, he already had the perfect opportunity to work on Pathfinder, and hopefully get the robot to agree to help him without really knowing why. He hoped a few cheesy sound bites would be enough to send the reporter on his way, so he simply got to his feet. "Thank you," he said to indicate that he was done. Ted looked like he was about to protest, before turning to his photographer. "Find Silva for me," he barked at the poor man. 

Tae Joon left the room and headed back to his own. He planned on getting changed and having something to eat that was actually edible, before seeking out Pathfinder once more. He didn't really have an actual plan as such, but he was sure something would come to him, not to mention the fact that Pathfinder was overly keen to make friends, which meant that getting the robot to trust him would be easy.

Once he was dressed in something a little less Crypto, he headed into the kitchen, glancing through the window to the conference room as he passed by and spotting Octavio, who was sitting in the same seat he had been himself moments before, being interviewed. Although sitting might be the wrong word to describe the way that Octavio tended to use chairs. He danced around it, imitating explosions with his gloved hands, using the chair as a prop to recreate the more heated parts of the battle. Eve was standing by the doorway, looking slightly troubled. She caught Tae Joon's eye as he went passed and approached him.

"Seems the interview went alright," she said as Octavio wrapped up his own interview and barrelled past them both on his way out of the room.

"Do you want Mirage?" she called over Tae Joon's shoulder. For a moment, Tae Joon thought she was talking to him, and had to bite back a scathing reply, until he realised she was addressing the journalist. 

Ted looked down at his watch and then shook his head. "Nah. Outta time. We're back in what, three days? We can do it then."

"Ok guys, see you then." She waved them off with a phoney smile watched until they were clear of the room. "Never liked him," she muttered to Tae Joon. 

"He's very unlikable," Tae Joon agreed. "Are you alright? You seem worried."

Eve shook her head. "I'm fine. Can't stay, see you later Hyeon." 

Tae Joon was starting to feel something on the edge of his senses, a feeling like something wasn't quite right, that something was in motion. "Hold on," he called after her. Eve stopped and turned on her shiny black heels.

"Mm?" 

"I'm going to be going away for a few days," Tae Joon said gently. The Legends were by no means prisoners at the complex during the season, but they did all still have to answer to the Syndicate. Generally, they all tended not to leave anyway; they may have had homes outside of the Games but the sad truth was that for many of them they had no reason to go there during the season. Nonetheless, things came up. Makoa often spent his down time working with the SARAS, along with Ajay. Bloodhound had been known to disappear for days, returning smelling faintly of old, dried blood, and Octavio liked to zoom off to dangerous places to record stunts for his fans. Elliott, Tae Joon was certain, owned a bar back in solace that he went back to check on quite often. Although, perhaps now that he thought about it, maybe that was just the reason Elliott gave to be going home so often. 

Eve tapped away on her phone some more. "Seems alright," she said eventually. She looked up at him. "Just, you know, be mindful of the stuff in your contract. Toe the company line. Don't speak to anyone in any capacity about anything to do with the Games, don't place any bets and keep the phone we gave you charged and in one of them massive pockets at all times, Ok?"

Tae Joon nodded. 

"When are you thinking of going?" Eve asked.

"Tomorrow morning. Unless there are more interviews?" Tae Joon asked with trepidation. 

Eve shook her head. "You're good." Her phone beeped in her hand and she looked down at it, her eyes going momentarily wider. "But now I really have to go." 

She clacked off down the hall, and Tae Joon was once again left with the feeling that something wasn't right. He was starting to feel nervous again, his skin prickling with the need to get away. He knew, however, that randomly rushing off now when he had been so casual about leaving tomorrow would cause suspicion, so he decided his best course of action would be to work on Pathfinder a little more, even if it was just to take his mind off of things. 

He set off for the robot's room. If memory served, he was down the same corridor as himself, opposite Bloodhound's room and a little further from Elliott's. As he passed by Elliott's room, he was taken by surprise as a bird, shimmering and blue, swooped through the open door before bursting into pixels above his head. He stopped, watching the spot where it had disappeared, when another came by, this one landing on the floor in front of him before dissolving. He walked slowly over to Elliott's doorway and peered inside. Elliott was standing by his bed, a tablet perched on his dresser as he made holographic birds appear from the palm of his hands. He could hear someone laughing, a woman, and he immediately felt as though he were intruding. He turned to leave as Elliott produced a map of the arena, complete with shimmering snowy mountains and glistening lava flows.

"You gonna stand there all day? It's easier to hear you yell at me from this side of the door."

Tae Joon huffed and quickly stepped inside. He strode over to Elliott. Even with his mood soured, he still found himself fascinated by the holograms that Elliott had made. Elliott ended the call quickly.

"I was just passing through. Your hologram startled me."

He was still so angered by Elliott, and what's more, he felt humiliated to have been caught lingering outside his door. 

"Wait," Elliott called out. Tae Joon didn't turn. "Please."

Sighing, he looked slightly over his shoulder. "What do you want?"

He heard the sound of Elliott getting up and stepping closer to him. Tae Joon felt his whole body tense up. 

"I, uh, I guess I don't know, not really. But this isn't doing me any good, even if you don't care." Elliott sounded bitter and a little tired, and Tae Joon realised he shared those feelings himself. He finally turned to face Elliott. 

Elliott looked at him, and the scent of citrus lingered on the edge of Tae Joon's senses for a moment. He felt his pulse quicken, the tension inside of him seeming to increase ten fold. It hurt him to think of having to argue with the idiot again, and he was tired of fighting everyone around him. He just wanted it all to stop. 

He let go of the pressure inside of him, felt his shoulders drop and his jaw unclench. "I agree. We both have more important things to focus on. It would be easier if we just avoided each other from now on. We can be civil, we will undoubtedly run into each other now and again, but perhaps we should not seek each other out. For our own sakes."

Elliott took a small step backwards. "Right. Yeah. I mean, yeah, that's what I was gonna say. Took the words right out of my mouth. Sort of. So, uh, yeah. Great. All sorted out now."

Tae Joon nodded and left the room. His heart was still pounding fiercely in his chest, his head spinning. All he had wanted to do was avoid the man, and now he was all worked up again. If he was truthful with himself, he'd never met anyone who had gotten under his skin as quickly as Elliott Witt had. It was something beyond basic dislike now, he told himself. It was almost hatred but, and at least in the privacy of his own head where he could at least be honest about it, a hatred that Elliott did not deserve. The amount of time Tae Joon devoted to feeling as though Elliott were a thousand needles beneath his skin was not at all proportional to the man's behaviour. He was irritating and maybe a little annoying, but he hadn't really done anything to stir these feelings within Tae Joon. He remembered Mila once telling him that there were people in life you could meet who were made to make you feel things. Some made you feel happy, or loved, but there were others that made you angry or miserable. She said sometimes it was hard to tell which was which. Tae Joon had put it down to the silly daydreaming of a teenage girl, but the way it felt like Elliott had poured sand in his very soul made him feel like perhaps there was something to her words. Before he had even realised it, he had made his way back to his room instead of going to see Pathfinder, and cursed under his breath. He checked his computer quickly but there was nothing, before setting off to find the robot. 

The MRVN wasn't in his room when Tae Joon knocked, so he went to check the kitchen, certain that Pathfinder was probably still knee deep in pancakes. In the end he found Pathfinder outside, using his zipline to rig up a pulley system to transport the many bags of trash to the huge bins that were kept off site and far away from the legends.

"Hello friend," Pathfinder said pleasantly as Tae Joon approached him. "It is taking me quite a while to clean up the mess I made!" 

Tae Joon wasn't quite sure how Pathfinder expected him to react to that, so he just shrugged and smiled and hoped that would do. "Yes. Would you like some help?"

Pathfinder's screen displayed an eccstatically happy smiling face. "That would be very helpful!"

There were at least seven sacks at Pathfinder's feet. Tae Joon wrapped his hands around the nearest one and lifted it. The bottom immediately gave out and a cascade of pancakes fell to the floor. Tae Joon groaned, then offered Pathfinder a sheepish grin. "Maybe I am not so helpful after all."

Pathfinder crouched down with a whir of gears and began using his arms to scoop up the fallen food. "You're trying, though, and that's all that matters, friend!" He produced another sack and shovelled the pancakes into it, humming a small, flat robotic tune. 

Tae Joon took a deep breath. There weren't many parts of him that felt good about what he was planning. He cleared his throat. "You know, your attitude is very nice to see," he said, kneeling next to Pathfinder and beginning to help him. "There are not many people as kind as you."

"Well, I'm not really a person! But thank you." Pathfinder's screen flicked through a cycle of various happy faces. 

For a while they continued on in silence. Tae Joon didn't really know what to say, but Pathfinder seemed quite happy to just hum to himself while he worked. Tae Joon didn't want to scare the robot off, but he also didn't want to waste time making friends with a machine to get what he wanted. He decided to be more direct.

"If there is ever anything I can do to help you find your creator Path, you only need to ask."

Pathfinder tied up the newly filled sack and tossed it with ease into the bin. "Hm. I'm not sure what you could do, but any help is always appreciated."

Tae Joon nodded. "Well, I'm very good with computers. Maybe I could search or..." He paused, trying his best to look as if the thought had only just occurred to him. "Have you ever checked your own files? Creators often like to leave digital signatures on their work."

"That's an excellent idea friend! However, I have already checked through all my files and sadly, I found nothing."

Tae Joon nodded and appeared deep in thought. "And I suppose your decryption software is state of the art." 

Pathfinder froze again. Tae Joon heard the whir and spin of his servos as he contemplated this. His screen showed something Tae Joon had never seen before; lines of blue text on a black background. Pathfinder was clearly running a diagnostic on all of his current software. He smiled to himself.

"Friend, it appears I do not even have decryption software! This is very exciting! Do you know where I might get some?" Pathfinder hopped from foot to foot, his metallic hands curled into fists at his chest. 

"Slow down," Tae Joon said with a laugh. "Are you sure the Syndicate would be alright with you downloading that kind of thing? I'm sure they wouldn't be comfortable with it."

"Oh no. Do you think so friend? Oh well. Never mind. I would not like to get into any trouble." Pathfinder looked genuinely disappointed, and Tae Joon felt a small pang in his chest. 

"Well, I could always..." Tae Joon trailed off pointedly. "You know, actually, forget I said anything. It's not important." He turned his attention back to the mess in front of him.

"Ok friend! I will delete it-"

"Hold on," Tae Joon said hastily. He had forgotten how literal Pathfinder could be sometimes. "What if I tell you my idea, and if it's not alright with you, then you can forget it."

"Alright," said Pathfinder, his screen flickering to the happy face once more. 

"If you wanted, I could check for any encrypted files. I would just hook you up to my computer and have a look. If I find anything, I can decrypt it, if it's there. You wouldnt have to download anything." Tae Joon looked at Pathfinder and held his breath. 

"That sounds great, friend!" Tae Joon smiled. "Although I would like to ask my other friends what they think first. Friend Mirage says I can be naive sometimes." 

Tae Joon cursed under his breath. If the robot wanted to talk to Elliott about it, he was sure to throw a wrench into the works, just because. He tried not to let his irritation show in his face, though. He still needed to stay on Pathfinder's good side. 

"If you think it is for the best," he said.

Cleaning up the pancakes took the rest of the morning. Once they were done, Tae Joon felt fairly dirty, and headed back to his room to shower.

For the rest of the day, Tae Joon hid in his room, packing a small rucksack with everything he would need and trying to pretend that he had more on his mind than Elliott's infuriating ways. 

The next morning, Tae Joon was boarding a small passenger plane to Solace. After so long buried in the games, it was a relief to finally be able to shake Crypto off for a little while. Maybe forever, based on whatever it was his mother had to show him. Flying like this always made him feel uncomfortable. He was trapped with strangers and no way to escape if things went south. He figetted nervously in his seat, trying to modulate his slightly elevated breathing. The ship took off roughly, bumping and battering it's occupants from side to side. Tae Joon's fingertips bit into the arms of his chair, and he closed his eyes and tried to think of something else to take his mind off of it. 

His thoughts turned back to Pathfinder. He was wondering now if it would have been better to try to crack the MRVN before going to see Mystik, perhaps armed with more information than they had ever had before. Of course, it was far too late to wonder, and Tae Joon had no choice but to settle in and wait to land.

Some hours later, Tae Joon gathered his bags and took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself to get to the Shop. The problem was, before when he had been trying to sneak into the games, it had been so much easier to just melt into the shadows, to move about unseen. Now it didn't matter where he went, people recognised him. It was a double edged sword. People were so fascinated to see him that anything official looking that he handed them.wsnt placed under too much scrutiny. But then, people were staring, watching him, all the time, and not even trying to make a secret about it. He felt hot and smothered, and couldn't wait to get far away from all the prying eyes.

He made his way into the city. Hyeon Kim had needed a home address, and so Tae Joon had moved a few numbers about on a screen until he was the proud owner of a grubby little bedsit in one of the rougher areas of the neighbourhood. There were not, of course, many parts that weren't rough, but no one cared about fame around here and there was a cyber cafe two streets over. 

He managed to slip inside the building unseen. The room in which he resided was one of around twelve, all packed in together. Therefore it hadn't been very hard to hack into his neighbours various networks, giving him across to the screens and radio waves. The room itself was practically empty. There wasn't even a bed, just a slab of foam and piles of blankets thrown into one corner. There was a desk and chair; he always needed somewhere to work, a screen so he could keep up with the news, and a small set of drawers in one corner with a broken lamp on top. He took his bag from his back and began setting up his laptop. 

The first thing he needed to do was get a message to Mystik to let her know he had arrived. It would have been foolish to go straight to the Shop; they both had to be sure it was as safe as possible. He set to work, fired off a message that to an innocent bystander would have looked like garbled nonsense, and then headed over to his makeshift bed to get some sleep. 

When he awoke a couple of hours later, he first thought was of food. He stretched as he got to his feet, the combination of the ride over and the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements making his body stiff and sore. He took a small snack from his bag, switched on the screen and kept his eye on his computer for any word from Mystik. 

The first article on the news was to do with the supposed refurbishment of an area not too far from where Tae Joon was now that had been absolutely anhilated during the war. The amount of homeless and refugees that could still be found to this day was horrifying, but those in charge had promised to keep trying to make everything better, and projects like this was where they were going to start. Tae Joon wondered exactly how they were making money out of it, but he was certain at least that they were. 

The next piece was something to do with an explosion in a chemical factory, then something about new reforms to trade. Tae Joon felt his eyes beginning to close once more until the next piece snapped them wide open once more. The person presenting the news, a gruff looking older man, had introduced his entertainment correspondent, a perky looking red head with a huge mouth full of smiling white teeth. 

"Thanks Gordon," she said, flicking her hair over her shoulder and smiling at the camera. "Well, some sad news first up. Fresh off his suspension from the Apex games, fan favourite Mirage has been spotted back on Solace. Seen in these pictures taken by a fan, we can see the legend entering the Solace Memorial Gardens. We have since learned he was there to attend the funeral of his mother, renowned holo scientist Evelyn Witt." The woman continued talking, but Tae Joon's mouth had fallen open. He kept staring at the screen, unable to look away as Elliott, in a dark grey military uniform, was shown walking through two large, wrought iron gates, his attention focused at his feet. Just behind him there were several other people, many wearing the same uniform. Elliott's face was a picture of misery, and the way the anchorwoman was speaking so flippantly about the whole thing was causing Tae Joon to see red. He wished she would stop calling him Mirage.

"In lighter news, guess who just had a baby?" 

Tae Joon switched the screen off angrily. He looked over to his computer, to his phone which he had left next to it. The phone had been given go him by the Syndicate, and contained a means to contact all the others. He hesitated. Surely by now Ajay or Octavio or anyone else would have gotten hold of him, and were likely to be far more comforting than he was. On the other hand, he was at least on the same planet as Elliott. 

As were, he told himself strictly and with a sense of complete bafflement at his own actions, Elliott's actual friends and probably the rest of his family too. Tae Joon may have wanted to help, but he didn't need to. He would be seeing Elliott again soon enough, and then he would offer his condolences, like any mere colleague should. They weren't close, after all. They weren't even friends.

The computer pinged and a message from Mystik flashed up. Tae Joon felt a pang in his chest. He may not have been born to her, but Mystik was as much a mother to him as the woman he had just lost was to Elliott. He was seized by a desperate urge to see her and make sure she was alright, regardless of any other motive. She had responded that it would be safe to come see her after nightfall, and she was looking forward to seeing him again. Tae Joon smiled sadly, logged off his computer once more, and tried to get some more sleep.

The Shop was on the other side of the city, right on the edge next to a vast and roaring highway. From the outside, it looked like a battered and broken old shelter, all corrugated sheets and tarpaulin. Tae Joon approached slowly, pointing his face in the direction where he knew a camera had been secreted away so she could see that it was him. Next to the door, behind a small locked panel, was a handscanner. Tae Joon took the key from his pocket, unlocked and opened the hatch, and pressed his palm to the device inside. There was a small whir and click, and the door to the Shop opened with much grinding of gears. Tae Joon stepped inside.

It was dark inside. It always was. To maintain her safety, Mystik knew it was always important to pretend she wasn't home. Tae Joon always felt terrible coming here. This was never the life he had wanted for her. So many of his words to her had been him promising that as soon as they had the truth they would both of them go somewhere new. Somewhere better. Somewhere far off, where they wouldn't have to hide their faces and they could go out in the daylight. 

His footsteps echoed through the bunker as he walked. Screens all around him emitted glows of blue and green, a gentle electrical hum persistent in the background. 

"Ma?" Tae Joon called. There was no answer. He felt panic begin to rise through him, his eyes widening in the dark to see exactly what was in front of him. 

The place looked as it usually did. Cluttered and a little crazy, but it didn't look like it had been broken into or messed with in any way. He stepped closer to the main bank of screens at the centre of the bunker. One was playing only static, and taped to this was a note.

TJ, 

I am sorry I could not meet you. A friend sent word of someone on Talos with information that could help us. I had to leave right away if I am to get to him before he moves on. I am safe. Please do not worry. There is a gift for you under my bed. Forever family.

Mystik.

Tae Joon's shoulders sagged in both relief and disappointment. He turned to the small bed in the corner and knelt down next to it. After a little bit of searching, he pulled out a shoebox tied up with a piece of string. Opening it, he found a small drive inside, and another note. 

Mk. VI  
Syn.prog.7689  
"Say hello"

Tae Joon recognised what it was a once. A decryption key for the Syndicate's files. All he had to do was plug this into a computer that they had used and he could get into their entire network. The exact thing he had been lamenting about having to craft himself once he got his hands on Pathfinder and here he was, holding it in his hands. He didn't much believe in destiny, but this was almost too good to be true. 

He left the Shop soon after. It was careless to hang around there when it wasn't necessary, and only put Mystik in danger. He travelled back to his small dank room, being sure to take the scenic route in case he was being followed, only stopping on his way to pick up some takeout. 

He got back and immediately logged on to his computer to tell the higher ups that he would be cutting his break short. In truth, Tae Joon felt more comfortable in the facility, inside the beast perhaps but hidden behind high walls and perimeter security, and so much closer to the truth than he was out in the real world. He was also itching now to try out the key he had gotten from Mystik, and only hoped that Pathfinder would be open to his suggestion. Of course, it would be a lot easier considering Elliott probably would be back for a few-

He stopped his train of thought dead, ashamed of himself. His eyes slid over to his phone once more. He had no idea where Elliott even was, though he figured it couldn't be more than an hour or so by taxi, and the Syndicate would be paying. His hand reached out, but he snatched it back and concentrated on his screen. 

Two seconds later, he grabbed his phone and tapped a quick message out. 

Elliott 

If you need to talk, I am on Solace. I am sorry for your loss. 

Tae Joon 

He looked at it for a moment, then almost dropped his phone in panic when he realised he had signed with his real name. He hastily deleted the whole message and tossed his phone back onto the desk as if it had burned him. For a few minutes, Tae Joon could do nothing but stare in shock at how careless he had just been. If anything, it just confirmed his fears that Elliott was a distraction, and Tae Joon really was spending too much time with the idiot on his mind. He breathed deeply. He sympathized with the man, of course he did, he wasn't a monster, but he needed to harden himself a little and focus. He drummed his fingers on his desk, feeling shaken and restless. Tomorrow he would head back to the facility, hopefully get Pathfinder to go along with his plans, and soon he could leave the games and Elliott Witt far behind him forever. 

It was going to be risky, hacking the robot, but if Tae Joon wasn't willing to take risks he wouldn't be there. He packed his few possessions back into his bag and curled up on his blankets to try to sleep.

A few hours later, he was woken by a message on his phone. Bleary eyed, he could see it was still the middle of the night. Panicking, he snatched up his phone, his fear being replaced by confusion as he read the message.

Hyeon, Ajay said you were nearby. Could use a friend. 

Elliott 

Tae Joon wanted desperately to ignore the message, to stop putting everything he had worked so hard for at risk. At the same time, some part of him felt monstrous for thinking it. Elliott may not be his favourite person in the world but he was certain the feeling was mutual, so if he was reaching out to him he really must be desperate. After a few minutes of internal struggle, he reached for his phone again, only for it to vibrate beneath his fingertips. Elliott was calling him. 

He answered without thinking. 

"Yes?"

There was a shaky breath at the other end of the line. "H-hey man, it's me. Uh, Elliott."

"Yes," Tae Joon said simply.

"Look, uh, I know it's late- early- whatever, but I kinda need to speak to you. Well, to anyone really." His voice as strange, carrying the smallest hint of panic; not at all the tone Tae Joon would have expected from someone so recently bereaved. 

"I'm listening," he said softly. 

There was a pause. "Not here. I mean, not on the phone. I..." There was an extremely heavy sigh from Elliott. "I need to see you. Face to face. Here." He reeled off an address while Tae Joon's mind did somersaults. The other man sounded so, well, desperate. Tae Joon knew that people sometimes did strange things when they were grieving, but Makoa had assured Tae Joon that Elliott wasn't that kind of guy, although Tae Joon, and he wasn't trying to flatter himself of anything, was still caught up on the way that Elliott had said he needed to see him. His throat had gone dry. 

"Elliott," he said eventually. "I don't know if I am truly the best person-"

"Please," Elliott said. "It has to be you."

Tae Joon swallowed. It was urgent, but not in a way that terrified him. "Ok," he said. "It will take me about twenty minutes to get there."

"Great. Thanks Hyeon. I- Uh, thanks." 

Tae Joon got dressed quickly and left his small room. It was dark, the only light coming from the streetlamps, which themselves only worked intermittently. It took a little longer than he would have liked to find a cab, and even longer to explain to the driver where exactly he wanted to go. The address Elliott had hastily garbled down the phone wasn't anywhere that Tae Joon had ever heard of, and certainly not in a district that he would have expected a legend like Mirage to hang out. 

When he arrived, he found himself in front of a broken old warehouse. The windows that weren't smashed were boarded up, and graffiti covered the outside. The door was blocked too, and Tae Joon was just about to call Elliott when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly, reaching out to grab whoever was attacking him, but this time Elliott was ready. He grabbed Tae Joon's wrist with one hand, dragging him forward before pressing his other hand across Tae Joon's mouth. Tae Joon's eyes widened in alarm before he realised who his 'attacker' was. Elliott gave him a meaningful glare, to which Tae Joon nodded in response. Slowly, Elliott pulled his hand away. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Tae Joon could see that Elliott was wearing a complete set of holo devices over his clothes. 

"What-" he began, but Elliott just pulled him towards the street.

"Not here," he muttered. Elliott led him to a black car parked against the kerb. "Here." He opened the door, but Tae was by this point far too freaked out not to be suspicious. 

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded.

Elliott shook his head. "We can't stay here. I'm sorry." He opened the door. When Tae Joon refused to move, Elliott physically shoved him inside, an act that terrified Tae Joon almost as much as the phone conversation. Elliott then climbed in the driver's side, started the car, and sped away.

"Elliott?" Tae Joon asked after a moment. He was trying to keep his voice calm. Elliott seemed one wrong word away from snapping completely. His hands were tight on the steering wheel, his eyes wide, his usually perfect hair a mess. "Please. What's going on?"

Elliott seemed in agony, his face a grimmace as he tried to, it appeared, find some words. "Look," he said eventually, his voice wretched. "I really am sorry. If you don't wanna help me after what I gotta say, maybe you can still, I dunno, get away clean. What the hell am I even saying." His voice was quieter now. "I kinda hope you don't wanna help me."

Tae Joon suddenly realised where he recognised Elliott's frantic manner from. He'd displayed it himself, the day he'd woken up to find Mila gone. 

"What's happened?" 

Elliott took a hand from the steering wheel to run it over the back of his neck. "It's... my mom," Elliott said, his voice cracking. Tae Joon could see the lights from outside reflecting in his misted eyes. 

"I was very sorry to hear of her passing," Tae Joon said solemnly. To his surprise, Elliott snorted. 

"You were sorry," Elliott said pointedly. He let out a small, angry sob, wiping his eyes furiously with the heel of his hand. Tae Joon was so confused, and a little frightened. He had no idea what was going on. 

"Let's just... I'll explain when we get there," Elliott choked out.

"Where are we going? Can you at least tell me that?"

Elliott pressed down further on the accelerator. "My brother had this place on the edge of town," was all he said. 

Eventually they came to a ruined part of town, the sort of place that had been on the news earlier as part of the new refurbishment initiative. Every building was nothing but shells and rubble; no one could live there. Elliott was having some difficulty navigating his way through the broken stonework and other detritus that littered the street. The further down they went, the darker it became, until soon the only light came from a few valiantly flickering streetlamps and some of the few remaining neon signs that hadn't been smashed to pieces. 

Elliott pulled up outside a small, one story little house with a wall completely blown out. He got out of the car, jerking his head at Tae Joon to follow. Nervously, Tae Joon did so, his eyes roaming over every inch of the building in front of him, trying to spot anything that shouldn't be.

"Elliott," he called, but the other man just rolled his eyes and grabbed Tae Joon's arm, dragging him bodily into the wrecked house. 

Once inside, Elliott released his grip on Tae Joon and began pacing through the rubble, his hands periodically clutching as his hair as he tried to regroup himself.

"Ok," he said eventually, his breath ragged. "This is gonna sound... crazy. I mean, it is crazy. It's... damn it!" He resumed pacing again. Tae Joon hadn't moved. 

"Just... say it. Please, Elliott, in getting concerned."

Elliott looked at him with wild eyes. "Now you're getting concerned?" he asked with a completely mirthless laugh. "I pretty much just kidnapped you!" Elliot let out a ragged breath. "I'm sorry, by the way. I just didn't know who else to turn to."

Tae Joon said nothing, choosing instead to wait patiently until Elliott composed himself enough to speak. 

Alright. So, you know yesterday, after your come to see me? Well," Elliott looked away. "Ten minutes after you left, some guy came to tell me Mom was... She was gone." Elliott wrung his hands wretchedly.

"Things was," Elliott continued, wringing his hands. "I'd only just got off the phone to her. I tried to call her back and she didn't answer, and when I left my room, some guy from the Games was there, saying they'd arranged a ship to take me home tomorrow, for the funeral, which he said they would also take care of. I already knew that something wasn't right but seeing that man there, all phony sad eyes and bullshit, I was terrified. I wasn't gonna wait around, I got out as fast as I could and came home but by the time I got here the place was swarming with people and she was already... she was..." Elliott stopped completely. Stopped talking, stopped moving. He seemed to collapse in on himself, falling to his knees, his shoulders shaking with heavy sobs. 

This time, Tae Joon didn't hesitate. He fell at Elliott's side and gathered him into his arms. It might have been awkward, had Elliott not leaned so hungrily into Tae Joon, fingers clutching at the sleeve of his coat, his whole body trembling. Tae Joon could have been anyone; it was clear that Elliott needed someone. 

They stayed liked that, on the floor of the broken house, for quite some time. Elliott's sobs faded eventually, but he still made no move to pull away. Tae Joon himself was in no hurry; what Elliott had told him had sent his mind reeling, and processing it whilst trying to take care of a distraught Elliott was all he could focus on. 

Eventually, they were alerted to the world around them by the sun's warm rays creeping over the rubble and dirt. Elliott looked up, his eyes red rimmed and sore looking, his expression sheepish.

"I..." he began, disentangling himself from Tae Joon and getting to his feet. 

"It's alright," Tae Joon said quickly. He was too hot in his coat and he shrugged it off, relishing the cool, morning air on his skin. All night he had been wrestling with thoughts in his mind, about how much he should tell Elliott, about how much was safe. Then, just before sunrise, Elliott had shifted in his arms, and two pairs of tags had fallen out of his shirt. One pair belonging to his mother, the others Elliott's own. In that moment, Tae Joon realised how much they had both lost, how much the damn Syndicate had taken from them, and how sick he was of going through it all alone. 

"I need to tell you some things," he began, as Elliott took a bottle of water from his bag, tossing a second one to Tae Joon. 

Elliott didn't seem all that surprised or intrigued. "I hoped you would," he said. "I mean, this is the sort of thing that you do, right?"

Tae Joon eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

Elliott offered him a tired smile. "I mean, I'm not stupid. First thing Ajay told me about you was that you weren't too bad a hacker. I was just asking about the tower, and then when I went within a foot off you, you tried to rip my arm off. I told you, not an idiot."

Tae Joon felt irked at being caught out so easily, more so because Elliott hadn't mentioned it. 

"Then there's the fact that you showed up on the legends sheet when I know I'd never even heard of you before. And there was that time back in the Canyon when I was down in the labs and I thought I saw someone out if the corner of my eye. I'd actually forgotten all about it until I saw that little drone of yours. You know, for a secretive guy, you're not so stealthy." Elliott was almost back to his usual self, talking a mile a minute. The was even the ghost of a cocky smile about his lips.

Tae Joon wanted to be angry, but the feeling wouldn't come. He was, he found, begrudgingly impressed. 

"Why didn't you say anything?" Tae Joon asked softly. Elliott shrugged.

"Hey, you weren't hurting me." He paused, and a look of dark terror settled over his face. "Were you?"

Tae Joon shook his head. "I would never- I had nothing to do with this." He sighed. "My name is... is Tae Joon Park."

The world didn't end. He hasn't said that name out loud in so long it sounded strange even to him, but life went on. Agents in dark suits didn't emerge from the shadows to drag him away. The only thing that happened was that Elliott frowned at him. 

"The guy who killed his sister?"

"I didn't do anything. I would never hurt her." Tae Joon's voice had a small, hard edge to it that made Elliott flinch. 

Elliott took a small step towards Tae Joon. "No, no, I mean, I know. It's just, you've been all over the news. They've been looking for you for months."

"They won't find me," Tae Joon said solemnly. "Not until I get the answers I need."

"Well, what's the question?" Elliot asked softly. 

So Tae Joon spent the next few hours filling Elliott in on everything. He left nothing out, almost unable to stop it all from spilling from him once he had started. He spoke about the damn algorithm that had caused everything in the first place, how the last time he had seen Mila, he had argued with her about using it. How he had used his former position working with the Syndicate to help him fabricate everything he would need to lie his way into the Games. How Mystik, who had taken Mila and him in when they had nowhere else to go, was feeding them a steady stream of misinformation, using his signature programs on different computers in many different places, making them search everywhere but within. 

Then, finally, he told Elliott about the decryption key, and his plans to use it on Pathfinder.

Elliott said nothing throughout the whole thing, just let Tae Joon get as much off his chest as possible. Then, as Tae Joon leaned against the steadier looking wall, Elliott came and stood beside him.

"That's... Man, I am so sorry. That's rough."

"Thank you," Tae Joon replied quietly.

Elliott looked away, his face a frown. 

"What?" Tae Joon asked.

"Will it hurt him?" Elliott replied. "Path, I mean. This thing you need to do to him, it won't like, fry his memory files or anything like that, will it?"

Tae Joon shrugged. "I shouldn't think so. He is just like any other machine."

Elliott shook his head. "He's not. You know he isn't. He's looking for answers, just like the rest of us." Elliott sighed. "I don't like lying to him, but if it helps find your sister, I'll tell him I think it's a good idea. On one condition."

"What?"

"While you're in there, you gotta do what you said you would. Look for anything on his creator, the digital signature or whatever it was you said. If you don't find anything, well, that sucks for him, but you gotta try. Don't just..." Elliott waved a hand. "Use him up."

"I won't. You can be there the whole time if it makes you more comfortable." 

Elliott shoved him gently on the shoulder. "Hey, look, I know it hardly seems to matter now, but I'm really sorry for being a dick to you. You know, back at the start. I mean, I kinda get why you were the way you were now. I'd have been the same. And, uh, thanks for coming tonight. I... well. Thanks, Hyeon."

Tae Joon looked puzzled. "You're welcome. But you know now that is not my name. "

Elliott held up both hands in front of him. "Best to keep calling you that though. You think I suck at saying the words I want to say, you should watch me with the ones I don't."

Tae Joon smiled. It felt good to have someone to confide in, to support him, to even help him. He still felt terrible for what Elliott had had to go through; his heart ached with how much he hated it, but there was something, just the smallest thing that was getting harder to ignore. He was glad it was Elliott. He wanted it to be him. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked sincerely. 

Elliott sighed. "No. No I'm not. I'm so damn angry and tired and my chest is killing me." He smiled sadly, his eyes filling up once more. "I want my mom." he said with a sad little laugh.

Tae Joon felt furious. "I promise you, Elliott, we will make them pay for what they have done to us." He was seized by the desire to embrace Elliott, almost to crush him. He wanted to protect him, keep him safe. Keep him close. He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly through his nose. 

"Something wrong?" Elliott asked. 

"No, just... It's been a lot. Today." 

"Sounds to me like it's been a lot for you for a while." 

Tae Joon huffed. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Elliott responded, puzzled. 

Tae Joon crossed his arms. "You just lost your mom. You guys were so close, and someone... well. You've just been thrown headfirst into this awful world I live in and you... You keep asking about me. Why?" He paused, his voice breaking. "How?"

Elliott shrugged. "Right now, I can't handle thinking about it. I mean, when it's Mirage, yeah, I can talk about myself for days, but me? Not so much. Too much baggage. Too many sad times. If I had to live inside my own head twenty four seven, I'd go off the deep end." He sighed. "Its raw and it hurts like hell, but I know it'll make me feel better, and distracted, if I help you."

Tae Joon nodded. If that was what Elliott needed, a distraction, then he was happy to provide one for him. "We should talk about a plan," he said. "Do they think you suspect anything?" 

Elliott shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean, I was clued in that it wasn't right from the start, but I'm not stupid enough to take on an entire evil corporation. I don't think they'd have much trouble making even me disappear. Especially after... well."

"We should keep it that way. It's less risky for you and anyone else they can use against you." Tae Joon looked at Elliott suddenly. " You need to warn anyone close to you. Family, friends," he coughed gently, "girlfriends, anyone you care about."

Elliott shook his head. "Mom was all I had left. There isn't anyone else."

Tae Joon tilted his head to one side. "But I thought you said this was your brother's, uh, house."

Elliott gave Tae Joon a disbelieving look. "What, you think he still lives here? I mean, yeah, heck of a view, but still."

"So, where is he?" Tae Joon pressed.

"You're really gonna put me through the wringer like this, huh?" Elliott ran a hand over his face. 

"I'm sorry?" Tae Joon asked.

"He's gone. All three of my brothers. They never came home from the war. I did. I came home without them. Ok?" Tae Joon flinched away from Elliott. In all honesty, he had been expecting anger, and was willing to take whatever Elliott threw at him if he needed to get it out of his system. Elliott must have seen it though, because his face softened and he stepped closer. 

"I'm sorry. It was... It was a long time ago. I mean, come on. Youre not stupid. We all had to live through it."

Tae Joon looked down at the tags hanging from the neck of Elliott's shirt. "We didn't all fight in it though."

Elliott hastily tucked the tags back into his shirt. "Look, don't get any ideas like I'm some big damn hero, or anything like that. I was a field engineer, holo division. I just fixed the kits for the real soldiers. Like my brothers."

Tae Joon didn't say anything. Elliott could say what he liked. He didn't get those scars on his face from the games, and Tae Joon had been around enough broken vets to know that no one was 'just an engineer'. He'd bet a lot of money that they put a rifle in Elliott's hands and sent him out more than once. He also knew better than to push it. 

"Alright," Tae Joon said slowly. "Ok, I think it's better if I head back tomorrow, like I told them I would."

Elliott nodded. "Don't think they're expecting me for a week or so," he said lightly. "Best I stay here. Sort out mom's things, you know?"

Tae Joon nodded. Then he looked outside, his eyes widening. "It is morning," he said, a hint of panic to his voice. 

Elliott looked uncomfortable. "Yeah. I had a lot to process. Took a while. "

Tae Joon waved a hand impatiently. "No, I mean, I said I would be back today. I need to sleep." He cast his eyes around the room. 

"My car is still outside."

"I've slept in worse," Tae Joon said with a small shrug.

"Hey," Elliott replied, pointing a finger at him. "You've slept in much worse. They may be an evil, murderous organisation, but they pay well."

Tae Joon winced, but Elliott just smiled.

"Hey, she loved too soon jokes. Trust me, she's laughing right now." A pained look crossed Elliott's face, but he quickly shook it off and led the way back tonhis car. Tae Joon got in beside him. 

"We should move. Somewhere they'll expect your car to be."

Elliott started the engine. "We'll go to my bar. There's a garage underneath, we should be ok there."

They drove in silence. Tae Joon was deep in thought, as was Elliott, he was certain. He couldn't imagine what Elliott was going through, though his own life shared so much similar misfortune. He felt strangely close to the other man, and hated the circumstances of it so much it burned. At the same time, something in Tae Joon was trying to make itself heard, and he was trying to drown it out, to make it go away. However, the fact remained that Elliott Witt was beginning to fascinate him. He'd spent so long watching Mirage through a lens, the man whose gimmick was that he could be two people at the same time. Tae Joon was starting to realise how true that really was. 

"Why are you wearing your holo devices?" Tae Joon asked suddenly.

Elliott shrugged. "Figured if people were gonna come after me it would be for the best. I mean, it's always helped me out of a tough spot in the ring." He looked over to Tae Joon, his expression a little flushed. "It was actually something you said, about being prepared. I mean, I've never been on the run before so..." 

Tae Joon looked away. "It will help to keep you alive." 

"That's the idea," Elliott said, his gaze still on Tae Joon. He took one hand from the wheel and placed it in Tae Joon's shoulder. "We can do this, right?"

Tae Joon looked over at him. "We will."


	5. Chapter 5

They spent the next few hours as planned, sleeping in Elliott's car in the parking garage under his bar. It was an uncomfortable squeeze, with Elliott trying to fit his height across the back seats while Tae Joon reclined the passenger seat as far as it would go without crushing Elliott's legs. They were both so tired that it didnt matter much to them, and they were asleep within moments.

Waking up much sooner then either man would have liked, Elliott then drove Tae Joon to the port so he could return to the complex. On the way they discussed their plans further, having nowhere near enough time to get them as clear as Tae Joon would have liked, but having to do the best they could.

"I'll be back in a few days," Elliott told him as Tae Joon's ship was announced. 

"Stay safe, Elliott," Tae Joon said. He hesitated, then quickly pulled Elliott into a brief hug. 

"People can see," Elliott said with a laugh. 

"Yeah, they're always watching," Tae Joon said said as he released the other man. 

When he got back to the complex, Tae Joon followed the plan. He didn't approach Pathfinder again. They decided it would be best for Elliott to broach the subject when he returned. Instead, he played the part of a dutiful legend. He went to the firing range with Anita, helped Ajay fix a slight malfunction with DOC, and had murmured conversations with Renee about her progress regarding her own attempts to find some answers. She had realised pretty quickly that it was Tae Joon who had sent her the key she needed to hack into the computers in the lab, and she was grateful for it. For his part, Tae Joon was starting to feel weighed down with how often he did things for the others for selfish reasons. He needed Renee to get into the labs so he could follow in after. Octavio still thought it had been pretty cool of Tae Joon to stand up for he and Elliott. Pathfinder would offer him a high five every time they met, but then, he supposed, Pathfinder offered high fives to everyone. 

He had been back for four days, and had still received no word from Elliott. He was trying his best to lie low. The most cyber espionage he had done was to hack into Evelyn Witt's phone records and wipe all traces of her last phone call to her son. He was starting to feel stressed, frustrated with worry and unable to find anything to distract himself. The facility was quiet; a lot of the others had gone away for a while. Only Bloodhound and Pathfinder remained.

It was as he was passing the hunter's room that he began to panic. Bloodhound's room was across the hall from Elliott's, and just the sight of it had Tae Joon's paranoia kicking into overdrive. He was supposed to have called by now. Or sent a message. Anything. But there had been only silence, silence that Tae Joon had filled with terrifying thoughts and pictures in his head, of Elliott alone, terrified, hurt and dying and scared.

He leant against the wall, his breath escaping in ragged gasps. It was a new kind of fear he was feeling. He worried about Mystik constantly, of course, but she understood the stakes. She was prepared. Elliott was a capable fighter but this was something he didn't understand, something new. And Tae Joon had left him alone. He hadn't been able to shake the feeling that all of this was his fault somehow. He had given his word to Makoa that he wasn't here to hurt anyone, and before he had even had a chance to unpack, Elliott had lost the last family he had in the world. It was a coincidence, surely, but Tae Joon had been faced with the real world for far too long to have much belief in confidences anymore.

He fumbled in his pocket for his phone, his heart dropping in his chest when he saw that there was still nothing. With a swipe, he brought up Elliott's number and was about to call it, hesitating only because they had agreed it would be far too suspicious for Tae Joon to get caught trying to contact Elliott. He wished Ajay or Octavio were still around. It would only be natural for them to contact him, especially at a time like this. He was distracted, suddenly, as the door next to him opened.

Bloodhoud stepped out. When not in the ring, they tended to wear a scarf to cover their face and hair, a thin strip exposing their eyes, which were still heavily in shadow. Scents blossomed from their room, earthy and spicy all at once. They turned to Tae Joon, who was still leaning heavily against the wall. They did not seem surprised to have found him.

"You seem distressed, Hyeon," they said simply. Tae Joon could only nod in reply. "Would you like to come inside. I can perhaps be of some assistance."

Tae Joon nodded once more and pushed himself from the wall. He followed Bloodhound into their room, and it was immediately like stepping into a whole other world. It was dark, with plants absolutely everywhere. In one corner he could see Artur, asleep on a perch with his head beneath his wing. A small space had been cleared, in which stood a small shrine, covered in various crystals and feathers. In the centre a long thin candle burned with a green flame. Bloodhound walked over to this, selected another feather from a small wooden box, and placed it next to the others. Then they waved their hand at two large, scruffy looking cushions on the floor. 

"I was meditating when I sensed you," they said. 

Tae Joon looked sheepish. "I am sorry if I disturbed you," he said.

Bloodhound simply shook their head. "Not at all. My meditation centres me, allows me to stay focused. It also guides me to others who may need to be soothed." They paused to sit, indicating that Tae Joon should do the same. "The Allfather gives many gifts."

Tae Joon took his place on the other cushion. He had never been a very spiritual person; his mind was grounded in facts and things that could be proven, but after spending far too long inside his own head, he was happy to find a distraction. 

"Are you comfortable?" Bloodhound asked. The honest answer was no, Tae Joon felt exposed and a little silly sitting cross legged on the floor while the grim reality of his situation seemed to press down on him from every side. However, he nodded, and Bloodhound, though sceptical, seemed satisfied enough.

"Do not misunderstand me, I am aware that my faith causes discomfort on others. But please understand, you do not need to believe to benefit. As Caustic might say, it is scientific." They drew their legs up, their eyes closed, as Tae Joon did the same.

"Breathe deep. Breathe slow. Take your time," they instructed. "It will not erase your problems, merely reset your thinking. Hopefully, it will calm you."

Figuring he had nothing else to lose, Tae Joon did as he was instructed. Bloodhound was right; his anxieties did not leave him, but at least his heart no longer felt as though it were about to explode from his chest. They continued on for a while, until Bloodhound cleared their throat. "Is there something you would like to discuss?"

Tae Joon was about to shake his head, when he felt an overwhelming urge to get everything, or at least, almost everything, off of his chest. He sighed

"I am concerned for Elliott, but mostly I am concerned that I am concerned." 

Bloodhound nodded. "Elliott is a complicated man. Getting to know him is quite the journey." They looked over to their shrine. "Our family, however strange it may be, has lost a warrior. The light will guide Evelyn Witt on to her eternal rest." They shrugged. "It is... natural, perhaps, to find Elliott a little too much at first. Soon you see his heart, and you realise that perhaps you were looking at just another of his illusions all along."

Tae Joon suddenly felt all sense of calm leave him. The little voice he had been ignoring for so long was able to be so much louder in the silence of his relaxed mind. "I miss him," he blurted out.

Bloodhound seemed to stiffen. Then they let their shoulders drop and sighed. "This may be something I cannot help you with," they said. "I know very little of... desire. I know I do not feel it myself."

Tae Joon held up his hands. "It is not desire," he said quickly. "I do not think of Elliott like that."

Bloodhound seemed to consider this for a moment. "But how much do you think of him?"

Tae Joon wanted to lie. It was something he was good at.

"Constantly," he confessed. 

Bloodhound shifted on their cushion. "Then you must yourself come to terms with what this means," they said. 

All of Tae Joon's instincts were telling him to run. To hide. But he knew there was no hiding from himself.

"Elliott would not..." he began. "It is nothing."

"Elliott surrounds himself with the pseudo adoration of others. He feels it gives him worth. You have not known him as long as I have, perhaps, but even you must see the truth of his heart. It does not know what it wants. It must be shown." Bloodhound got to their feet, and offered their hand out to Tae Joon. "There is no shame in love."

"I do not love him," Tae Joon spat out.

"Apologies. As I said, it is something beyond my own understanding." Tae Joon took Bloodhound's hand and was pulled to his feet. "But there could be many worse things."

Tae Joon felt hot and stifled, he wanted to leave the darkened room and it's cloying scent of incense.

"I am just concerned for him, nothing more."

"As are we all," Bloodhound agreed.

Tae Joon left Bloodhound's room feeling somehow both better and worse at the same time. In all honesty, he knew there were conflicts inside of him that he needed to confront, but confronting them hadn't made them go away. He stopped outside Elliott's door and pressed a hand against the wood. He needed to get his head straight, and deal with the fallout after. 

He missed Elliott. He missed his stupid grin and the way he spoke and the scent of citrus. He missed how being around Elliott made him feel, made him forget. He missed him, so help him he wanted him back. 

He missed the way it felt to hold him, to be near him. He ached for Elliott, there was no denying it now. He missed the shape of him, the sight. He missed the warmth that came from just being near him, and Tae Joon knew then that he was screwed, because he was falling for Elliott Witt. 

He thought he was prepared for anything, but he had never seen this coming.

-

Elliott returned to the complex the next day. Everyone was waiting for him in the rec room they all shared, having been told of his impending arrival. There was a sad tension in the air; no one was speaking very much, just casting occasional glances towards the door. 

When he finally stepped through, Tae Joon breathed a small sigh of relief. He didn't get up from his chair, and instead it was Natalie who made the first move, crossing the space to embrace him without a word. Elliott wrapped his arms around the electro engineer at once; she too knew how it felt to lose a parent as close as Evelyn had been to Elliott. Slowly, the others made their way to him, offering sad smiles and words of condolence, until it seemed the man could take it no more.

"Guys, thanks, seriously. It's been... rough. Hope you don't mind, but I kinda want to sleep for like a hundred years." Elliott's face was a picture of sincerity. The others all nodded and gave him some space as he made to leave the room. As he passed Caustic, the scientist laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You have my sympathy," the older man said gruffly.

Elliott smiled. "Thank you." 

He gave Tae Joon a pointed look, and after a few moments, Tae Joon made his excuses and followed. His heart was thundering in his chest, making him feel awful. Everything was still so raw for Elliott, but he couldn't seem to squash the jolt of excitement he felt to be near him once again. The previous night had been agony. Sleep would not come, and instead various thoughts raced theough Tae Joon's mind, from warm to, frankly, far too hot. He had decided that whatever he felt was best not to act on. They were in the middle of their own private war, and Tae Joon didn't need to complicate things any further. 

Elliott's door was already open by the time Tae Joon caught up. He didn't knock or wait for an invitation. 

"Sorry," Elliott said the moment he noticed the other man. "I panicked, threw my phone. I'm not really so good at all this."

Tae Joon stepped closer to Elliott. "It's alright. I'm just glad you are safe." 

Elliott nodded. "Yeah. Uh, you too." Elliott straightened up. "So I was thinking, maybe tomorrow we could take Path down to the workshop, you can run your scan."

A small pang of irritation surged through Tae Joon. He didn't want to talk about that stuff. But what he wanted to talk about, he couldn't, so instead he nodded and did everything he could to keep his hands from reaching out to Elliott, just to make sure he was real.

"Good idea," he said.

Elliott spent the next half hour talking about his time away, trying to sort out his mother's affairs while pretending her passing was nothing more than a terrible happenstance. He agonized over the way it felt like he was betraying her somehow, as if not acknowledging what had happened was an insult to her memory.

"You have acknowledged it, though," Tae Joon assured him. "She will have justice. We just have to be careful, that's all." Elliott was pacing now, Tae Joon sitting on the edge of his bed, following him with his eyes. Eventually, Elliott came and sat down next to him.

"Look man, thanks for all this. Don't know how I woulda got through this without you." He smiled, and Tae Joon had to look away.

"Don't mention it," he muttered.

The next morning, Tae Joon went to the workshop to set up. Tae Joon set up his laptop, plugging one end of the decryption key into a port. Elliott was with Pathfinder right now, convincing him that letting Tae Joon poke around his memory files was a good idea. He was nervous, and he put it all down to what may be about to be revealed to him. The thought did not keep him from watching the door to the workshop, his mouth dry and his pulse racing.

He was furious with himself. He hated feeling this way, like some stupid schoolboy with a crush. Bloodhound had sworn not to say anything to anyone, but that didn't erase the fact that he was distracted. He had a job to do, a job so important he had to keep focused, but his mind wandered so much that he could feel his grip on the situation slipping away. He'd never felt like this before, and yes, he hated it. He wanted it to go away. But then, some part of him would whisper, that wasn't all he wanted. He shook himself, and looked back down at the screen of his laptop. It blinked away at him, waiting, just as the door opened and Elliott walked in, Pathfinder close behind.

"Hi, friend!" Pathfinder waved happily at Tae Joon, who gave him a nod in reply. He looked over to Elliott, who looked tired and downcast. Tae Joon reminded his ridiculous feelings that it had been less than a week since he had lost his mother. 

"Mornin Hyeon," Elliott muttered, before making a beeline for the small table in the corner that held the coffee pot. Tae Joon smiled slightly, while Pathfinder came to stand next to him.

"Friend, Mirage has told me that it is a good idea for you to access my files! This will be fun! Do you require assistance locating the correct port?"

Tae Joon heard Elliott snort from the corner. He rolled his eyes. 

"That would be very helpful, Pathfinder, thank you. While I am familiar with your software, your hardware is a little unfamiliar to me."

Another snort. 

This time Tae Joon laughed in response. Just a small chuckle, and it stemmed more from Elliott's own amusement than his immature inneuendo. He shook his head and looked over at Elliott. He was wearing an old hoodie and jeans, and his hair was a mess of curls, soft and unkempt. His hands were curled around his mug of coffee, his eyes peering into the black liquid as if it could tell him his fortune. 

"I am ready, friend!"

"Hm?" Tae Joon looked over, pulled from his thoughts by Pathfinder, who was standing next to him expectantly, his screen pulled down and horizontal against his chest, exposing a nest of wires and chips. Pathfinder's CPU. "Right." Tae Joon cleared his throat as Elliott walked over, bringing the enticing scent of strong, black coffee with him. 

"This port accesses my memory banks," Pathfinder said with a pointing motion. Tae Joon grabbed the wire that was trailing from his laptop and plugged the other end into the appropriate port. Unless he was mistaken, the robot actually took the smallest step backwards. He looked over at Elliott, who returned the look with meaning. 

"Don't be frightened," Tae Joon said. It was hard to tell how the robot was feeling without the usual intel from his screen. Pathfinder's lens turned to face Elliott.

"You're in good hands, buddy," Elliott assured him, indicating towards Tae Joon with his mug. 

Pathfinder didn't really seem to relax, but it would be hard to tell. Tae Joon continued on, guilt eating away at him as he saw Elliott's eyes turn away from the robot, obviously not feeling great about the situation himself. With a deep breath he began typing away, almost angry at how easy it was to work through the robot. What he had been trying to do for months he accomplished in just under an hour through Pathfinder and the key Mystik had sent him. His excitement was short lived, however, when a small alert popped up on his screen.

His fingers were a blur as he tried to hide what he was doing for just a moment longer. The Syndicate's security systems were alerting them to the fact that there was someone there who shouldn't be, but Tae Joon was so close. He had found a file that looked promising, and was just waiting for the key to get him inside. In a panic, he ran a silent running programme to buy himself a little more time. In the corner, he heard Elliott's cry of outrage as Pathfinder shut down, leaning forward, all sounds of life extinguished.

"Hey, hey, hang on, what did you do?" he demanded, striding over to the robot. In a shut down state, Pathfinder was immovable, an Elliott could do nothing but shake ineffectually at the robot's frame.

"Stop that. You'll loosen the connections," Tae Joon muttered, his eyes still fixed on the screen of his laptop.

He felt Elliott's fingers close tightly on his shoulder. "You said you wouldn't hurt him," he said, half angered, half worried.

"I'm not!" Tae Joon growled in response, looking up at last. "He is in sleep mode. If they find out someone used him to get to them, they will hurt him to find out who. This will hide the origin of the attack."

Elliott took a step back. "You never said that. You never said we were dragging Path into this, too." 

Tae Joon couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You knew! You knew I had to use him to get to them!"

Elliott began pacing back and forth. "We have to warn him. We have to tell him."

Tae Joon stilled Elliott with two hands on his shoulders. "You know we can't! We... he's not..." Tae Joon hesitated. 

"Not what?" Elliott asked hoarsely.

Tae Joon sighed and released Elliott. "Not... a person."

Elliott sighed and shook his head. " Look, in between seasons Path comes to help at my bar. Last year he didn't tell me that Kirsty was skimming the till for two months because she asked him not to. Trust me, he can keep a secret."

"He can also be hacked." Tae Joon pointed at the wires running from Pathfinder to his laptop. "This way, he won't create new files about what we're doing here. What he doesn't know can't be used to hurt him."

Elliott relented, but he still looked troubled. "Is this going to take much longer? We've been here long enough that I'm shocked we haven't been found out yet. I thought everyone would still be gone, next match isn't for a week."

Tae Joon looked uncomfortable. "They told us all you were coming back. The others, they all wanted to be here when you did."

Elliott looked stunned. "All of them?" he said softly. 

Tae Joon nodded. "All of them."

There was a sudden chime from his laptop. Tae Joon looked back to the screen. "I've.. I've found it. I think. Hold on."

He tapped away furiously for a moment, before slotting a small memory drive into his computer. A moment later he removed it and stowed it safely in his pocket. Then he continued to work. 

"Well?" Elliott asked.

"It will take me a while to decode the file, but I can do that later."

Elliott bounced nervously on his feet, coming up behind Tae Joon and placing his hands on his shoulders. Tae Joon shifted slightly, feeling his pulse quicken. 

"Well, reboot Path or whatever and let's go," Elliott said anxiously. 

"One more thing," Tae Joon muttered. He tapped away some more, leaning closer to his laptop as his eyes roved over the screen. He suddenly cracked a wide smile. "There!" He pressed some more buttons, and Pathfinder came back online. While the MRVN rebooted, Tae Joon unplugged all the various wires from the robot and slotted his screen back into place.

"What's there?" Elliot asked.

There was a sudden whirring as Pathfinder woke up. His screen cycled through a multitude of faces before settling on the customary yellow smiley.

"That was a strange experience, friends! Did I fall asleep? I've never done that before!"

Tae Joon smiled. "In a manner of speaking."

The robot turned his whole body to face Tae Joon. "I hope you found something." Tae Joon had never heard the robot sound so apprehensive before. He didn't even know that Pathfinder could. 

"I did."

The screen flashed up with an exclamation mark. 

"It's not much, but there was a signature there. Whoever made you, their name is Cate."

"Cate," Pathfinder repeated. 

There was an awkward silence. Elliott broke it by clapping Pathfinder on the back, wincing at the hard metal. 

"Well, there you go buddy!" he said happily. "How about that?"

Pathfinder seemed overjoyed, and left the room muttering the name to himself over and over. Tae Joon gathered up his laptop and headed for the door, but Elliott stopped him. 

"What's wrong?" Tae Joon asked.

Elliott frowned. "That wasn't a lie, was it? I mean, there really was a signature, right?"

Tae Joon wanted to feel irritated, but it just wouldn't come. "Yes, Elliott. I made a promise. His creator, whoever they are, is Cate. It's not enough to go on, but it's all there was."

Elliott nodded. "Well... Then thanks, really. It means a lot to him. I mean, I know he's always happy but this is gonna keep him going for a while." Elliott looked down at the laptop. "What did you find?"

Tae Joon looked over his shoulder before answering. "I managed to copy a file, but it's in some sort of code. I won't know what it says until I crack it and, knowing the Syndicate, it won't be an easy job. But I can do it."

Elliott smiled back. "I know you can."

They left the workshop to be greeted by the sound of shoes squeaking down the corridor. They both looked up to find a man approaching them, a thin smile on his face. "That's him," Elliott muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "The guy who came tell me about mom." 

"There you are," he said to Elliott, ignoring Tae Joon completely. Elliott froze up.

"Yep," he stammered. "What's up?"

The man stopped in front of him, his hands clasped around his phone as if in prayer. He sighed, a sound that neither man bought for a moment.

"I am so sorry about this, Elliott," he said. "We need you to do a little press conference." Elliott looked confused, and the man held up his hands. "Just to explain that you're back and still competing and to, you know, thank the fans for all their kind words and gestures." This much at least was true. The complex had been getting deliveries of flowers and soft toys since the news had broken. 

Elliott nodded. "Right. Yeah, of course."

"Now, in light of... well, what happened, we've lifted your suspension, but it's best you sit out the next match for 'personal reasons'. We thought it might be too much pressure for you and well, frankly we can't risk the idea that anyone here might go easy on you."

"Well, thanks a lot for-" Elliott began sarcastically. Tae Joon coughed pointedly, and felt Elliott untense slightly next to him.

"Good idea," Elliott finished lamely. "When's the conference?"

"In about ten minutes."

Elliott looked shocked. "I need more time. I need to get changed and do my hair and-"

"No, no, you're fine as you are now," the man said with a fake smile. "It'll really help you sell it."

A look of anger flashed over Elliott's face. "Sell that I'm sad my mom died?" 

"Exactly," the man said, not noticing Elliott's tone and already looking back down at his screen. "Ten minutes." He stalked off back down the corridor, leaving Elliott tense and breathing heavily in his wake. 

"Can you believe this?" he said, turning to Tae Joon. 

Tae Joon held up his hands, his face a picture of anxious misery. "Elliott, please!" he said in an anguished whisper. "I understand that this is difficult, but you must not let them know you are on to them. If they found out, if something happened to you I- I would be in danger also. So, please, do as they say. Pretend." 

Elliott took a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just getting a lot, and I really, really don't wanna be here anymore. Hearing him say I gotta go up there, act like I still wanna fight in their games, knowing what they did?" He looked at Tae Joon. "Its ok, I'm not gonna blow it. Hey, pretending's my thing, right?"

Tae Joon nodded, looking down towards the floor. "For what it's worth, I hate this. I hate that this is happening to you."

Elliott moved his head to catch Tae Joon's eye. "It's not your fault." He sighed and shook himself. "Alright, best get this over with." He clapped Tae Joon on the shoulder. "I'll come see you afterwards."

Tae Joon shook his head. "No, you shouldn't. It would be... odd, considering our history."

For a moment, Elliott looked put out. Then he nodded. "Right, yeah. All this sneaking around is still kinda new to me I guess."

Tae Joon sighed. "Something is... happening, I think. I mean, who was he? Where is Eve?"

"Eve? Who cares?" Elliott muttered.

"I'll fill you in later," Tae Joon said, remembering that as far as Elliott was concerned, Eve was just another cog in the Syndicate's murder machine. "You should go." 

Elliott left, leaving a hollow ache in Tae Joon's chest. While it was true that spending too much time with the other man would be suspicious, it was a wrench to adhere to the fact. His annoying feelings aside, it was less isolating to have someone who understood the truth of everything. He missed having, well, a friend, someone to confide in. He also knew in the same breath, however, that he could never place that weight on Elliott's already overburdened shoulders. Everything was so much riskier now, he was closer to being found out than he had ever been. His fingers closed around the drive in his pocket as he headed back to his room. 

He didn't watch Elliott's press conference. He felt like a coward, but he couldn't stand to sit there and watch as Elliott had to contain what he was really feeling, knowing that the Syndicate was using the grief they had caused to further their own means. Instead he set to work on decoding the files he had gotten from Pathfinder, growing irritated that it wasn't as easy as perhaps he had hoped, though it was really no surprise. He ran every programme he could think of, but the files remained stubbornly unreadable. He scanned the data for any patterns, but could make sense of none of it. Frustrated, he left an automated program running and tried to get some sleep.

When the day of the next match arrived, Tae Joon found himself in the company of Elliott and Octavio. Octavio's annoyance at not being allowed to compete kept coming out of him in little bursts of movement. It was clear that he hated being out of the games, but with Elliott in the room he was holding his tongue. They watched the whole thing together, as Caustic and Wattson took a very close win with the application of their traps and fences. In the media circus that followed, the three men were left alone. The public had short memories and large appetites, and their stunt and Elliott's grief might as well have happened years ago. Octavio grumbled off to his room to blast his music and blow off some steam, leaving Elliott and Tae Joon a rare opportunity to talk. 

"Any luck?" They were in the kitchen. Elliott was making some spaghetti for the both of them, while Tae Joon sat at the table, his laptop open in front of him. 

"No, I-" He paused as suddenly the screen flashed at him. Elliott had his back to him and didn't notice anything. "Wait."

"What?" 

Tae Joon leaned closer to his screen. The first line of code was slowly converting into something else, but it was still gibberish to him.

"I did it," Tae Joon muttered hoarsely. 

Elliott said nothing. He too watched as the files changed, confused.

"What's the matter?" Elliott asked, but it was obvious to him as he looked. More garbled data instead of anything legible flashed up on the screen. 

"Of course," Tae Joon said irritably. "It would be careless to encode this stuff just the once."

Elliott squeezed Tae Joon's shoulder. "Hey, you're getting somewhere. Don't be dos- disca- discouraged." Tae Joon felt the warmth from Elliott's hand against his cheek, and let out an involuntary shiver. It seemed that whatever he was feeling was getting beyond his control, causing him to lose his cool. If Elliott noticed, he didn't say anything. He didn't take his hand away either.

Tae Joon took a deep breath and turned in his seat. "Elliott," he began nervously. 

Elliott smiled. "Yeah?"

Tae Joon cleared his throat. "I... I think we-"

"Hold on," Elliott said suddenly, pointing at the screen. "What's that?"

Another file had been decoded. This one was Operation: Crystal Horse. Tae Joon looked at the screen. He clicked on it, and they were greeted by the same impenetrable wall of nonsense as before. 

Tae Joon looked back at Elliott. "Does it mean something to you?"

Elliott frowned. "Sort of. Back during the war, William and Charlie- the older two- they went out fighting. They wanted my mom to go out there to, to work on some gear for the pilots, but me and Jake, we were still too young so she kinda said no. She still did some stuff, but she didn't leave us. Then Jake went off and mom, I think she needed something to take her mind off of it all so she went to work on some project of theirs. A little while later, I got called up to help her. It was a project called, well, Crystal Horse." Elliott was pacing back and forth now, wringing his hands, his face pained.

"What was the project?" Tae Joon asked.

Elliott stopped. "That's just it. It wasn't. It was a stupid idea that never really got off the ground. Decoys for titans. It was useless. It wasn't that we couldn't do it, there was just no point. It was shut down after two weeks. Why the hell would the Syndicate care about that?" He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. 

"Perhaps the reason they cut the project short wasn't what you think it was. Perhaps your mother... She knew something."

Elliott shook his head. "Nope. No way. We told each other everything. Literally. She didn't keep secrets, not from me."

Tae Joon stood up, unsure if he should reach out or not. "She might if it was to keep you safe," he said softly.

Elliott looked at Tae Joon, his eyes brimming once more. "I wanna know what it says," he said firmly. 

"Of course," Tae Joon replied. "It will take me some time to decode these, but I will do it." A single tear spilled out from Elliott's eye and, unthinking, Tae Joon reached up and brushed it away, as he had done too many times with Mila. He didn't let his hand linger, just let it fall to his side and stood frozen in terror and what he had just done, as Elliott looked at him, blinking rapidly. The change in the air was palpable. Neither man spoke nor made any effort to turn away. Tae Joon could see the way his tears had lengthened Elliott's lashes, could see the depth of the scar that crossed his right brow. 

Then a shrill beeping rent the air, breaking the spell completely.

"Oh, crap!" Elliott said, turning away and wiping his eyes with the heels of his hands. "The food."

It suddenly occurred to Tae Joon that the air was filled with the acrid smell of burning pasta, and the crackling sound of a pot boiled dry. Somehow neither man had noticed it. Now, however, Elliott had grabbed the pan and shoved it in the sink, blasting it with cold water in an attempt to cool it down. Tae Joon wanted to stomp his feet like a child. For just a moment, the tiniest sliver of hope and excitement had settled in his soul. The way Elliott had looked at him, had reacted to his touch, what he thought was a small glimmer of something more in Elliott's eyes, all of it had made him feel stupid and happy and miserable all at once. He wanted, wanted so much that it made him angry that he could behave in such a manner when the stakes had never been so high. It would be so foolish to act on anything he might feel, even if he thought just some small part of Elliott felt it too. It would be dangerous and distracting, but it would cure the ache in his chest, and that was distracting too. He watched, disappointed as Elliott filled the pan with water before reaching into the cupboard and pulling out some tins of soup.

"It's alright," Tae Joon said, gathering up his laptop. "I'm not that hungry. I think I'll go work on this some more. We're very close to the truth now, I think."

By the time Elliott and Tae Joon spoke properly again, another match had come and gone and the next was only a few days away. Tae Joon knew he was being pathetic, but he was deliberately avoiding Elliott just in case the other man was avoiding him. When they saw each other at the complex, Tae Joon would nod and keep Elliott updated on his progress with the files, but a week after what he was now referring to as the kitchen incident, Crypto's first official paycheck managed to get Mystik a small, furnished place not too far from the Shop, and Tae Joon spent a lot of time helping her secure the place. Elliott didn't return to Solace for weeks, claiming it was too difficult to go back there, but Tae Joon had been running long enough to see the hint of fear in his eyes. When he returned, their conversations were hurried, more out of necessity than any embarrassment Tae Joon might be feeling, but just the sound of Elliott's voice was enough to leave Tae Joon in a funk for the rest of the day. He thought the feelings would fade over time, but they seemed to be getting worse, and Elliott, perhaps unbeknownst to him, wasn't doing anything to help.

He seemed to light up when he saw Tae Joon, his face a mixture of happiness and relief, his charming smile causing every part of Tae Joon to tense and ache. Seeing him made Tae Joon relax, too, some unfounded fear inside of him telling him that each time he saw Elliott would be the last. But he noticed something else, something that was the reason he hadn't made another attempt to talk to Elliott about his stupid feelings since the kitchen. The other man was becoming less tactile. Even when they had hated each other they had more contact than this. Elliott wouldn't punch him on the arm when he saw him, squeeze his shoulder like he used to, nothing. Tae Joon was beginning to worry that maybe Bloodhound had said something to him, and this was his way of distancing himself from Tae Joon, trying to let him down gently. Tae Joon spent more time worrying about this than he would have liked; there were more pressing matters at hand.

The complex was a lot busier than usual when Tae Joon turned up, his laptop tucked under one arm as he sought out Elliott. With a match scheduled soon, everyone was back for the pre-match build up, both public and private, mostly meaning interviews in the morning and the shooting range after lunch. Tae Joon made his way to Elliott's room, passing Bloodhound and Renee in the sparring room as he went, as well as Natalie decked out in her complete gear, her face nervous as she made her way to an interview.

"Bonjour Hyeon," she said with an anxious smile. Natalie hated giving interviews, they made her frightened and anxious, and the fact that the Syndicate made her feel as if she had to was another reason to take the bastards down, as if Tae Joon needed anymore. 

"Natalie," he said with a small nod. She stopped in front of him, looking at the floor. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

Natalie nodded. "Oui. Just don't like these things."

"No, neither do I."

She scuttled off, and Tae Joon heard Mystiks words echo in his mind. Families are made of all kinds of people, she used to say. Before you know it, she's like a sister to you, a mother, an uncle, it doesn't matter. Nothing is more important than family, never kind how you found them. 

Elliott was sitting up in his bed, a screwdriver in one hand and some device in the other when Tae Joon found him. When he saw the hacker, he leapt off his bed as though he had been electrocuted, but then stopped himself and just stood there. 

"How's it going?" he asked with a meaningful look at the computer. 

Tae Joon placed the laptop on Elliott's desk. "I found the right cipher. For all of the files. I found it."

Elliott rushed over to him. "You did? What did you find out?"

Tae Joon looked at him. "I haven't read them yet. I thought it would be best to read them with someone else, someone I could trust."

Elliott nodded. "So you're going back to Solace soon?"

Tae Joon looked confused.

"To find Mystik?" Elliott elaborated. "You know, someone you trust."

"Idiot," Tae Joon muttered with a small smile. "I meant you."

Elliott looked nonplussed for a moment. Then his face split into a charming grin. "Yeah, I knew that," he lied obviously. 

Tae Joon chuckled, to cover his nerves more than anything else. Then he opened his laptop and sat down while it booted up. Elliott grabbed another chair and sat beside him, having to get quite close to see the screen. Tae Joon cleared his throat and clicked on the first file, Operation: Credit.

Operation: Credit.

Trials are on going. The subjects are performing as predicted. Data is being received at an acceptable rate. No other complications. 

Tae Joon shrugged and looked at Elliott. Even decoded, the files didn't make much sense. He clicked on the next one, and felt Elliott move closer as Operation: Crystal Horse flickered on to the screen.

Operation:Crystal Horse.

Subject performing in excess of predictions. It appears he is creating holo tech far in advance of our own devices, for recreational purposes. Auditors have predicted large scale military applications. Next trial to include some sort of artillery decoy.

Addendum: Ellimination of Evelyn Witt has caused an upsurge in public demand for Mirage merchandise. Profits up this quarter. 

Tae Joon looked over at Elliott. He was still staring at the screen, his face contorted with rage. "It was for money?" he spat. "They murdered her to sell more damn action figures?" He got up suddenly, the chair clattering backwards on to the floor. Tae Joon stood up also, his hands out in front of him. 

"Elliott," he began, but he had no idea what to say. He watched as Elliott strode over to the small Mirage doll, grabbed it and threw it full force at his mirror. The glass shattered, shards mingling with paper pieces and other things as it exploded. The noise was deafening. Elliott then turned to the other corner, the one littered with his merchandise, and started attacking, ripping the heads from cut outs, tearing posters in half. Tae Joon was certain that the noise was bound to attract someone, and in the heat of the moment he could think of no plausible lie for Elliott's behaviour. He ran to him, grabbing him from behind and locking his hands at Elliott's chest, pinning the other man's arms to his side as he continued to thrash in his grasp. 

"Let me go!" Elliott bellowed, but Tae Joon remained there, using every ounce of strength within him to stop Elliott. He felt Elliott begun to calm in his arms, his shoulders dropping, but still, Tae Joon held on. When he was certain that Elliott would not lash out again, he released him, taking a step back, pushing his hair out of his eyes. Elliott stood with his back to him, chest heaving amongst the devastation. Then slowly, he turned. 

"I- I'm sorry," Elliott said. He didn't look angry anymore. He looked broken. In that moment, every little thing about how awkward Tae Joon's feelings had been making him feel went away. All he saw in front of him was someone hurting in the worst possible way, consumed with grief and guilt and rage, and with no idea how to fix it. Someone he cared about more than he thought he ever could, someone who was alone. But, he thought stubbornly, he wasn't alone. Elliott had him. 

"We will make them pay for what they have done to us," he said in a low voice. "All of them."

Tae Joon looked over at his laptop. The next file flashed up on the screen.

Operation: Butterfly.

Mila Alexander remains in stasis. Use of psychotropic drugs and electrotherapy very effective. Slight dehydration and malnutrition present but expected. Subject seems unaware of her surroundings. Holding period extended.

Tae Joon turned away from the screen. He didn't lash out as Elliott did. He felt too conflicted. Mila was alive, but was good as being tortured. There was no mention of a location, though. As much as he wanted to go storming off and rescue her, he had no idea where to go. He paced around the room, ignoring Elliott's questions until the man had to go read the file for himself. When he was done, Elliott straightened up and looked at Tae Joon.

"Man, that's... look, we need to think about this."

Tae Joon didn't want to think. He wanted to go to the armoury and strap every gun to his back before heading out to find Mila. He walked towards the door but Elliott crossed the room rapidly and grabbed his arm. "Wait. I get it. You know I really do. But if you go out there, no plan, you're just going to get her killed." Elliott sighed. "Tae," he said, and that simple act softened Tae Joon's whole world. Elliott was right, of course he was, and though his rage was blinding him, his trust in the other man, his belief, made him stop. He nodded.

"We need to find her, soon."

"We will. I swear, but you know this isn't the way to go about it."

Tae Joon sighed. It was true. After how hard he had worked to find her, it would be foolish to risk it all now. He needed to find out where she was, he needed to contact Mystik to see if her contact on Talos had been any good, he needed to-

"Oh man, you need to look at this," Elliott piped up suddenly. 

Tae Joon turned. "What?"

Elliott pointed at the screen.

Operation: Iron Hook.

Subject 3 of 7 continues to excede expectations. Data gathered indicates that further observation would be futile; dissection recommended. Concerns expressed about the subjects removal from the Games impacting revenue have been dismissed. Once subject is disassembled, the grapple device will be added to subject 5 of 7. Subject 5 will receive a complete memory transfer and AI upgrade before being sent in as a replacement. Subject 5 still shows signs of hesitation when engaging with human targets, but their targeting software exceeds Subject 3's. As a side note, the committee is aware of Pathfinder's attempts to find their creator, and it has been decided that premptive elimination is best for security reasons. Risk of detection by fellow legends deemed acceptable. 

Elliott looked at Tae Joon, his face ashen.

"Oh my god," he said softly. "They're gonna kill Path."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates may slow down a bit as I am nearing the end of my original draft. Just wanna say thank you for all the kind words and kudos, they feed my greedy little Cryptage soul.


	6. Chapter 6

Elliott was still pacing around the wreckage in his room some ten minutes later. Tae Joon sat in silence, following the other man with his eyes, completely numb. Since he had seen the files, the whole world had changed. He had come here with a hint of faintly reckless about himself, only wanting the find the truth of what they had done when they murdered his sister, when they had ripped everything from him. It was all different now. She was still alive, but they were hurting her, making her suffer, and he didn't know why. He didn't know where she was or how to get her out. Hacking his way into their systems was one thing, something that had never scared or overwhelmed him. He was at home with that sort of thing, and he was running on the notion that he had nothing else left to lose. Getting to Mila, getting her out safely - that was something else. Something he knew he couldn't do alone.

"Do we tell him?" Elliott said, coming to a stop and looking at Tae Joon. His hair was a mess from where he had run his fingers through it too many times, his eyes still red rimmed, his voice breaking. 

"Tell who?" Tae Joon muttered.

"Path!" Elliott shouted incredulously. He was looking at Tae Joon with a mixture of apprehension and outrage. Elliott had never exactly made a secret of the fact that sometimes the MRVN could get on his nerves, but it was obvious to everyone that he held a fondness for Pathfinder. 

Tae Joon shook his head. "It would be too dangerous." He looked over at his laptop. This was something far bigger than he had expected to find, and definitely more than he knew how to handle. First Mila, then Elliott's mom, and now Pathfinder. All of the references to trials and expectations... the thing about Elliott and artillery decoys, nothing was making any sense and Tae Joon felt the sudden pressure of it all crushing him as he realised he was running out of time to find out. 

"So, what?" Elliott said, fully panicking now. "We just let them kill him and replace him? Play along that this new thing is him?" Elliott ran his hands over his face. "What the hell does this all mean, anyway?" he said angrily, gesturing at the computer. "All this 'Subject 3' crap?"

Tae Joon wished Elliott would stand still. "It means that they made him. They are his creator. And he wasn't the only one they made."

"That's insane. I've known him ages. Way he tells it, he was knocking around for years before the Games even started." Elliott swallowed. "I mean, you said so yourself, you found his creator's name."

Tae Joon's expression suddenly cleared. "I found part of it," he whispered. "Cate."

"What- oh..." Elliott replied. "Syndicate. Clever," he muttered darkly. Then he shook his head and walked over to stand in front of The Joon. He looked at him sadly. "What the hell are we gonna do, man?"

Tae Joon looked down at his knees, digging his fingers into the edge of Elliott's mattress. "I don't know." He was scared to even move. "They have Mila," he said.

Elliott's body untensed and he sat down next to The Joon. After a moment of hesitation, he placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "I know." Tae Joon looked over at him, tears in his eyes. 

"I won't let her down again."

Elliott nodded. "Ok, yeah." He let go of Tae Joon's shoulder and slapped his knees, getting to his feet. "So, let's make a plan." He pointed at the laptop. "We need to see the rest of the files. Figure out what's really going on. We can't warn Path, you're right, but there's a match real soon and they're not gonna take him out in public, so we just have to hope that he's safe for a while."

"And if he isn't?" Tae Joon asked.

Elliott shook his head. "No, we can't worry about that right now. We just can't. We're up against a lot right now Tae, so, well, we're gonna have to take a lot on faith."

"There is no way we can do this," Tae Joon muttered quietly to himself. "It's too much."

Elliott knealt down in front of him, placing his hands on Tae Joon's knees. "Hey, look at me," he said with a sad sort of smile. Tae Joon sighed, but did as he was asked. 

"Alright," Elliott said softly. "Not gonna lie, this isn't going to be easy, I know. But... We both know we're going to try. You need to get her back, and there's no way I'm letting you do that alone." He lifted one hand and placed it on Tae Joon's upper arm. "Hey, who would have thought one day it'd be you and me against the world, kid?"

Tae Joon couldn't smile. His heart was broken all over again for a hundred different reasons. He knew he should have been overjoyed to learn that Mila was alive, but he couldn't find it within himself. Alive and safe were two very different things, and all he could think about was how he was sure to lose her all over again. Elliott was only making it worse. His feelings were the last thing on his mind but that didn't mean they had gone away. It didn't mean that some part of him wasn't paralysed with the thought that he was going to lose Elliott, too. He wanted to tell Elliott to leave, to run away and hide and be safe and survive, but he knew Elliott would not leave him. Elliott had nothing. Everything he had, everything he was, had been taken away. Mirage had died the same day as Evelyn had, and Elliott had nothing now except the secrets he shared with the man before him, and the strange family he had found. 

Seeing that Tae Joon was going to need a little more time, Elliott went back to the laptop and started clicking through more files. He didn't say much, but now and then he would swear under his breath or slam his fist on to the table.

Tae Joon stared at nothing, his mind racing. If they told Pathfinder what was happening, he honestly had no idea how the robot would react, or if he would even believe them. It also meant telling him what he had done, how he used Pathfinder to get to the information. It was a double edged sword; if he hadn't hacked the robot, they would never have found out that he was on the hit list, but they had still lied to him, betrayed his trust. He looked over at Elliott. Maybe there was something there that could tell them where Mila was, and then he and Elliott could do something, anything, to get her back and then they could all disappear. His eyes roved over the devastation in the room. Elliott Witt was one of the most recognisable people in the Outlands; hiding him would be nearly impossible. 

"Tae," Elliott said warily. "This is not good."

Tae Joon said nothing. He didn't care. Whatever Elliott had to say didn't matter. Mila was being held somewhere he would never be able to get to her, and she was as good as dead. They had killed Elliott's mother, they were hurting Mila, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop them. Elliott stood up suddenly, taking Tae Joon by the shoulders. 

"No way, I know that look," he said angrily. "You are not giving up."

Tae Joon looked at him miserably. "What am I supposed to do?" he whispered. 

"You're supposed to fight. You're supposed to bring her home." He sighed heavily. 

"How, Elliott? I don't even know where she is."

Elliott set his jaw. "You'll find her. We will. There's not a person here who won't help you. Especially after..." Elliott looked over at the laptop.

"What is it?"

Elliott shook his head. "Man, I don't even know where to start," he said darkly. "That stuff about mom, about your sister, about Path, it's all just... pieces."

"I don't understand."

"You need to see this for yourself, Tae, but... They have a plan. A plan for all of us. They're trying to build an army."

Tae Joon shook his head. "We are not soldiers," he said. "Not all of us."

"No," Elliott agreed. "We're prototypes."

Tae Joon walked slowly over to the laptop. He could feel Elliott's eyes on him as he skimmed the files. Elliott was telling the truth. The Games were just a way for the Syndicate to fund their research, rooting out individuals with specific talents and pitting them against each other, using what they learned to create new types of soldiers. Ones who could phase, who could create complex decoys, who could trap an enemy in a wall of electric fire, who could hunt them across worlds for days. Soldiers who could choke them with noxious gasses, who could chase them down at speeds they could only imagine, who could pick up fallen allies with one hand while calling in artillery with the other. Every single match created more data for them to work with. And when they had enough, enough data, enough money to keep them going, well, the Legends would not be needed any more. The Games would end, and one by one they'd all be eliminated, leaving the Syndicate free to use what they had learned to finally enslave the world.

All that stood between the Outlands and that grim reality was the two of them. And here was Elliott, the optimistic idiot, trying to convince him that they could fix this. Tae Joon closed his eyes, and tried to think smaller.

"Why are they keeping Mila alive?" he muttered out loud. "What's the point?"

Elliott was sitting on the bed now, looking around at the mess he had made. Suddenly, his expression cleared and he looked up at Tae Joon, terrified.

"They know," he whispered in a horrified voice. "They know who you are." The look in Elliott's eyes almost destroyed Tae Joon on the spot. He shook his head.

"Not possible," he said stubbornly. "I've been so careful."

Elliott stood up and began to pace again. "Doesn't matter," he said anxiously. "You were as careful as you had to be when you thought all you were trying to do was infiltrate some stupid bloodsport. But us, all of us? It doesn't matter how good we are." Elliott stopped moving, casting his eyes to the floor. "It never did. They chose us. They saw what we could do and then they made us Legends. Each and every one of us." He looked over to Tae Joon. "Except you."

It took just a moment for Tae Joon to catch up. His eyes widened in panic just as Elliott dropped to his knees in front of him, placing his hands on Tae Joon's arms.

"Go," Elliott whispered. "I can make a few calls, get someone out here to take you somewhere safe."

Tae Joon swallowed. "I can't," he said in a pained voice. "Mila."

Elliott's eyes were starting to fill. "Please," he said, anguished. "Before they..." He looked at Tae Joon. "Before they hurt you, too." He held Tae Joon's gaze for just a moment before standing up. "I'll find her, I will. I'll play their games and do as I'm told and keep working on the tech just like they want, and I'll find her. I swear. But please, Tae, I can't do any of that if something happens to you." 

Tae Joon shook his head, feeling completely broken. "I can't," he said. "I can't leave her. I can't leave you." The words were out before he could stop them, but Elliott didn't seem shocked to hear them.

Elliott stopped and ran a hand through his hair. "You're all I have left," he whispered wretchedly. He let out a mirthless laugh. "How pathetic is that? The only thing I've got going for me is the fact that some poor bastard got roped into hanging out with me."

Tae Joon got to his feet. "You shouldn't say that. It isn't true."

"Oh yeah?" Elliott countered, letting out an involuntary sob. "What else do I have? No family, no real friends, just a bunch of stupid merchandise and frenemy." He took a deep breath, his expression open and honest. "And do you know what's worse?" he continued as Tae Joon opened his mouth to argue. "I was so much happier when I hated you."

There was a self-loathing rage to Elliott's words. Tae Joon couldn't understand what had happened. "Elliott..." he began. "This isn't helping."

Elliott laughed again, his brow furrowed. "No, but then, I'm not helpful, am I? Always the last guy anyone wants to get teamed with in a match, always the one who gets shot at first, chased down. Always the joke."

Tae Joon placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him. "Where is this all coming from?" 

"You should go," Elliott whispered, defeated. "Go find Mystik, tell her what you found. In here, I'm all you got, and I'm no use to anyone."

"That's enough," Tae Joon said, said it so harshly that Elliott looked a little shocked, blinking rapidly. "What happened to you, to your mom, I'd give anything to be able to take it back. But when you came to me, I-" He hesitated, just for a moment, but something between them.had shifted, and it was now or never. "It sounds awful, but I was glad it was me you told. Not just because I could understand, not just because I could help."

Tae Joon braced himself for Elliott to ask why, but he didn't. Elliott was looking at him in a way he couldn't comprehend, but there was something new there, too. Something in his eyes, something like fear. He stood up, facing Tae Joon with barely a foot of space between them.

He took a deep breath. "Was it easier for you, too," he asked, his voice wary as he resolutely held Tae Joon's gaze, "when you hated me?"

Tae Joon said nothing. The whole world seemed to be standing still. Elliott was looking at him, waiting, but Tae Joon didn't know what to say. A feeling of hope was kicking around his brain. The silence was clearly affecting Elliott and he stepped back, just a little.

"Because that... I mean, yeah, I didn't think..." Elliott began to bluster. He was already back in his usual mode, filling the air with words in an attempt to smother the awkwardness. "I thought I was just scared and lost and my brain was trying to give me something to distract myself... and you... that day, in the kitchen, I thought... But not just then, not..." He stopped himself. "I'm tired of being scared," he said firmly. "Maybe I can't stop being afraid of them, but, you know, maybe, just for once I could be... I mean, I need to be... braver..." Elliott looked at Tae Joon, his face a picture of frustration. Then he set his jaw determinedly.

"Oh, screw this."

He closed the space between them in one quick stride, crushing his lips to Tae Joon's so desperately that Tae Joon had to reach out and hold on to him, just to keep from falling down. The ache in his chest returned, more powerful than ever but so, so much better. He felt his heart pounding in his chest as Elliott overwhelmed his senses, his legs weak as Elliott kissed him and kissed him and kissed him. 

When they broke apart, both men were panting as if they had just run a marathon, and they stood there, silent amongst the ruins of Elliott's old life, watching each other.

"Well, say something, Tae," Elliott implored. Tae Joon couldn't. He was frozen in place, his mind playing what had just happened on a loop over and and over. Even when he could see Elliott's expression changing, from determined to scared, he still said nothing. Elliott turned away.

"Oh... oh man. That wasn't... that wasn't ok, was it?" He leant his hands against the wall, his head bowed. "Stupid Elliott, can't stop messing things up."

Tae Joon managed to get his legs working again if not his voice. He went to Elliott, grabbing his shoulder and turning him before kissing him just as desperately as Elliott had before. His hands found their way to Elliott's curls, the nape of his neck, and he tried to pour every ounce of longing into the act as he could. Once he had regained himself, Elliott leaned into the kiss, pressing his hands against the small of Tae Joon's back as they gave everything they had to each other. 

They pulled apart, gasping, and Elliott, his lips bruised and his cheeks flushed, smiled gently. "So it was ok, then?" he asked.

"Idiot," Tae Joon replied fondly.

-

It didn't take long for the feeling of overwhelming joy to abate, leaving behind the familiar, heavy guilt in Tae Joon's chest. All it had taken was for Tae Joon to catch sight of his laptop out of the corner of his eye and suddenly everything he and Elliott were doing was wrong. It burned him deeply to think that even something a good as this had been tainted by the Syndicate. He couldn't even enjoy something as pure as falling in love without them leaving their mark on it. Love was for people who were free, who had time, who didn't have to worry about anything else. People who could be happy, and with Mila, trapped and alone and hurting, that was something Tae Joon could never be.

He could see the same worries occurring to Elliott as he watched him. Being able to be honest with him, with himself, had lifted so much weight from his shoulders but at the same time, it was still all so wrong. His chest ached with guilt and shame, and his every instinct was telling him that no matter how much he wanted this, it was a bad idea. 

"I should go," he said softly.

If he thought Elliott would understand, that he would agree, he was wrong. Elliott reached out and grabbed his hand. "Please don't," he said.

Tae Joon pulled his hand away. "This isn't right," he muttered.

A small flicker of anger crossed Elliott's face. "Are you sure? 'Cause it seems to me like this is the only thing in this whole mess that is right." He sighed, and then relented, just a little. "What they've done? What they're still doing? That isn't right." His voice was a little raised, but Tae Joon knew that none of the anger that Elliott was feeling was directed at him. "If things were different, if we'd never even met, then fine, whatever, but we did, and maybe it wasn't like love at first sight but I know it's been a damn long time since I woke up without you being the first thing on my mind!" He forced himself to breathe out slowly. "The timing sucks, I'll admit, but this? It's far from wrong."

Tae Joon nodded dumbly. He'd never felt an ache like this before. Elliott was here, right here in front of him, his hand in Tae Joon's, and his anger, his indignation, all on their behalf. He was so torn up inside. Half of him wanted to run away, the other half wanted to grab Elliott and kiss him and taste every inch of him. 

Elliott shook his head. "I get it if you can't," he said softly.

Tae Joon made up his mind. He was going to find Mila, he was going to bring her home, and, he thought fiercely, he was going to do it with Elliott by his side.

"I can," he replied, as he leaned forward. "I want want to," he murmured against Elliott's lips. The kiss was softer this time, lazy and slow, but that didn't mean that Tae Joon's heart didn't pound against his ribs as if it were trying to break free, or that his head didn't spin and make him feel drunk. He was starting to feel too hot, his skin on fire beneath his clothes. Elliott broke the kiss, clearly feeling the same way, his face so red it made Tae Joon laugh.

"Still, we should take it slow," Elliott said, though he didn't seem to happy about it.

"Yes," Tae Joon agreed. He sighed, his shoulders sagging. "We need to make a plan."

"We do?" Elliott asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Well, I guess step one is you lose the shirt-"

"About what we're going to do about Mila and Path, idiot."

Elliott winked at him. "Right. Gotcha."

"We should clean up in here, too," Tae Joon suggested. 

"I'll get Path to help," Elliott replied as he shifted a small pile of torn up paper across the floor with his foot. "I'll feel better if I can keep my eye on him."

"Alright," Tae Joon agreed. "But we can't tell him anything. Not yet. Not until we know what we're going to do."

"Which is?" Elliott prompted.

"I'm not sure. But I have a match tomorrow, I don't think there is much we can do until that is out of the way."

Elliott stepped a little closer. "So, you're gonna go out there and fight, and hope the fact that they don't know what we've found out yet will protect you?" He looked completely broken. "Don't fight. Say you're ill, or your drone's broken, anything."

"I can't. I just came off a suspension, I can't do anything that might rock the boat." He tried to smile reassuringly at Elliott. "I'll be alright," he said.

"You better be," Elliott replied, moving closer. His eyes drifted down to Tae Joon's lips and he paused for a moment before shaking himself. "I mean, I literally just got you."

Just the words were enough to make Tae Joon feel stupid. He tried to maintain at least some air of cool, but it was difficult when Elliott was looking at him as though he were brand new. To distract himself, he crouched down and scooped up a pile of torn paper.

"I'll go get Path," Elliott muttered, finally tearing his eyes away.

Tae Joon nodded and continued to work after Elliott left. Every time he reached down, he found something else that had been sent in by one of Elliott's numerous fans, doodles and letters and other such things. He found himself skimming over some of the fan mail, out of morbid curiosity than anything else, and found himself smiling.

Most letters were pretty formulaic, telling Elliott how Mirage was their favourite, how good looking he was, and how much they loved him. Now and again something a little out of left field would crop up, like the one woman who had legally changed her name to 'Mrs. Witt', or the guy who had sent in a small vial of his own blood so 'part of him could be with Mirage always'. There was no sign of the actual blood in question though, so at least Elliott had the good sense not to keep a biohazard around. Tae Joon couldn't help but wonder why Elliott kept all these things, especially the ones that bordered on slightly terrifying, but knowing the man as he did, he almost understood.

Elliott really did love attention. He really did need to be adored. It wasn't perhaps his most redeeming quality, but Tae Joon got it. Elliott had spent his whole life fighting to be noticed, and clearly the second he got a taste of attention it went straight to his head. He kept these things around him not only because people had worked hard on them, like he said, but also because he liked to be surrounded by them, by the love and adoration of people who had never even met him. He thought that it made him matter. That it meant that people liked him. It hurt Tae Joon to think of how lonely Elliott must have felt since he lost his brothers, and everything with his mom. Even at his lowest point, Tae Joon had at least always had Mila. He sniffed, scrubbing a tear from his eye that he hadn't even realised was forming. He straightened up, certain that as long as he had breath in his body, Elliott would never have to feel alone again.

The door opened as Elliott returned, the tall, happy MRVN close behind.

"Hi Path," Tae Joon said, hoping his words didn't betray the sense of dread that he felt at seeing him.

Elliott coughed, gave Tae Joon a pointed look, and then turned to Pathfinder. "Thanks for agreeing to help out, buddy, it's kind of a nightmare in here."

"Happy to help, friend!" Pathfinder replied. "Say, what did happen in here?"

"Yeah, well, I got a little upset," Elliott said sheepishly, running a hand over the back of his neck.

Pathfinder seemed perplexed. "So you broke all your things?" he asked.

Elliott nodded. "It's a... A human thing, I guess," he said with a little shrug.

"I don't break things when I am upset," Pathfinder carried on conversationally as he gathered up some shards of glass in his hands. "I prefer to fix things." He examined a beheaded poster of Mirage. "But then I suppose there are some things that cannot be fixed."

Elliott looked over at Tae Joon, who just shook his head. "All ready for the match tomorrow, Path?" Tae Joon asked.

Pathfinder nodded enthusiastically as he looked around for somewhere to dump all the garbage in his arms. "I hope we are on the same team. Friend Mirage speaks very highly of you. Mostly when you're not around. Oh."

Elliott blushed furiously while Tae Joon allowed himself a small smirk. "Does he?" he pressed, while Elliott turned around, a hand at his forehead. 

"I think it was supposed to be a secret," Pathfinder said quietly. 

Tae Joon found his smile widening. "Its alright, Pathfinder," he said. "Elliott and I are friends."

"But friend Mirage said- Um, I am not supposed to talk about it." Elliott turned around and clapped him on the shoulder.

"It's fine," Elliott said. "Go on, tell him."

Elliott looked hugely flustered, but he stood his ground. "Friend Mirage said that you were an annoying, know-it-all nerd, and he couldn't stop thinking about you. He said you were like a bug bite, and that you had..." Pathfinder whirred in place for a moment. "'An ass that won't quit'. I didn't really understand that part."

Tae Joon snorted with laughter and looked at Elliott, who just shrugged at him.

"Hey, I had to tell someone before I went insane," he said lightly. Tae Joon strode up to him and grabbed him, holding him close for a moment before pulling away and kissing him gently. He didn't care of Pathfinder saw or if he then immediately ran to tell everyone else in the complex. Hell, some stupid, adolescent part of Tae Joon wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

"Bloodhound got it out of me a while ago," he murmured in Elliott's ear. "Though I didn't mention your..." His confidence failed him and he backed away, blushing furiously. Elliott managed to grab his hand before he got away completely and he stood there, just holding it and smiling like the idiot Tae Joon so often told him he was.

They heard the metallic clang of Pathfinder clapping his hands together, pulling them from their perfumed little bubble.

"This is great," Pathfinder said happily. "You two are very cute together. Friend Lifeline said that."

"She did?" Tae Joon asked, surprised.

Elliott frowned. "Perceptive little minx," he muttered to himself. 

"And friend Caustic mentioned that if you two didn't sort it out soon he was going to smash your heads together. Apparently he was 'sick of wading through your pheromones every time you spent more than five minutes together'. "

Elliott dropped Tae Joon's hand in shock. "C-Caustic? Him too?"

Pathfinder nodded happily. "Some of them talk about it quite often when you're not there," he said. "But they never said it was a secret."

Tae Joon had no idea he had been so obvious. Clearly Elliott didn't either, judging by the look on his face, but the thing that got to Tae Joon most was that everyone had noticed it except him. 

"Well, good," Elliott said eventually. He looked at Tae Joon and smiled. "Makes for one less conversation, I guess."

Tae Joon smiled back, a little sadly, knowing that they'd both give anything for that to be the only conversation they would have to have with the others.

They finished tidying Elliott's room between the three of them, but if they were honest, it was Pathfinder who did the lion's share of the work. Elliott kept getting distracted by the things he found, going off on rambling tangents about where they came from and other stories that were jogged in his memory. Tae Joon found that once he and Elliott had lost all the tension between them, he found all the little annoying things endearing, which meant he could now listen to him talk for days. 

However, at the same time, Elliott's voice washed over him like white noise, his mind turning circles as he thought about what to do about Mila. It was only when he heard Elliott mention the Legend's retreat that some things began to click into place in his head.

Pathfinder left a little while later, mentioning that he was going to the workshop to make sure all of his joints were rust free before tomorrow's match. Elliott mentioned that the workshop was bound to have at least a few of the others present, so Pathfinder would be alright for a little while.

Once he was gone, Elliott had barely closed the door behind him before Tae Joon was on him once again. Normally Tae Joon was a little more timid and cautious, but that was a long time ago and now he had no idea what could happen tomorrow. For his part at least, Elliott didn't seem to mind and he returned Tae Joon's affections just as passionately and desperately. Elliott had a little more to him than Tae Joon, being broader and slightly taller, but that didn't stop the hacker from managing to pin his back against the door as he assaulted his jaw and neck with biting kisses. 

Elliott was far from weak, however, and let out a low growl in his throat that almost made Tae Joon's legs collapse beneath him as Tae Joon sunk his teeth into the sensitive flesh of Elliott's neck a little too harshly. In an instant, Elliott had managed to turn them, so now it was Tae Joon who found his back slammed against the wood, except Elliott was able to lift him, Tae Joon instinctively wrapping his legs around Elliott's hips. He shivered as Elliott's rough, scarred hands slipped beneath his shirt, Elliott still kissing him, still holding him up, making him feel insane with desire. He tried to give as good as he got, but somehow Elliott had him right where he wanted him, and Tae Joon had definitely lost the upper hand.  
Tae Joon had never felt so completely lost before; in a moment he understood Elliott's love of praise as the other man did nothing short of worship his body, and Tae Joon never wanted it to end. 

They broke apart only so Elliott could drag Tae Joon's shirt over his head before kissing once more, Elliott's hands so warm against the cool cybernetics on his torso, the skin around them almost always chilled. He found he didn't mind so much that Elliott was still fully dressed in his hoodie, not as long as he kept doing the things he was doing, driving Tae Joon wild. Elliott, however, seemed to think that the situation needed to be remedied and he pulled his hoodie off, ruining his curls even more, revealing the fact that there was nothing else underneath. Tae Joon saw the scars that crossed his skin all over, and time slowed as he traced his fingers over a long, raised line from the centre of Elliott's chest to the hollow of his throat. If anything, Elliott seemed a little self conscious, but Tae Joon was completely enraptured. Every move they made together, every little thing revealed something more to Elliott Witt, and made Tae Joon ache all the more for him. He'd never felt this way before, so desperate for someone else that it actually hurt, but it was a good ache, one that didn't break him as long as Elliott was touching him. 

They were both messes at this point, panting and on fire with need. Elliott grabbed Tae Joon by the hands and pulled him to his bed.

Tomorrow there would be work to do, other things that needed to get in the way, but for tonight, at least, they could have this. 

Just for tonight.

-

When the morning came, it was very unwanted by either man. Tae Joon woke up, feeling boneless and exhausted and happy, just for a few minutes before reality kicked in. Elliott was still sleeping, his arm tight across Tae Joon's chest as he snored gently. Tae Joon tried to turn to face him without disturbing him, causing Elliot to let out a small snort. Tae Joon smiled as a curl that had fallen across his face fluttered every time Elliott breathed out. He never had thought his life would come to this. 

With regret, he forced himself to get up. If anything, he was in desperate need of a shower, and he had a match to prepare for. He found his clothes after a brief search and left, with Elliott still snoozing away in his bed, and he gave himself a moment just to be at peace with what he had gained. Tae Joon knew that nothing in the world came easy, but it could be so worth it when it did.

Freshly showered, he returned to Elliott's room just to find that it had been a waste of soap. Elliott all but attacked him when he got back, with a longing so desperate Tae Joon knew that it wasn't only desire that fuelled him. He knew it because he felt it too as Elliott's hands roamed over his perfumed skin, as his mouth took him to places that made Tae Joon see stars, and he gave as good as he got, knowing that if he could only be the reason that Elliott made those sounds, everything might be alright. Their lives were chaotic and dangerous, but this was something the world could not take from him. Or at least, not without one hell of a fight.

They showered together, both of them too spent to do much else but wash, with a few kisses thrown in here and there for good measure. Tae Joon reluctantly left Elliott to get dressed in something that smelled like detergent instead of the trickster, but he was soon caught up by the man in question as he left his room.

"I'm hungry," Elliott announced, taking Tae Joon's hand. 

"You should be," Tae Joon replied. He looked down at their clasped hands pointedly. Elliott shrugged.

"Whatever. Time to face the music, I guess."

Naturally, the kitchen was packed when they entered. All eyes turned to them, but Elliott just tightened his grip, seemingly unfazed. 

"Morning, boys," Ajay said slyly as she looked up from her cereal.

"Good morning," Tae Joon replied levelly as he and Elliott broke apart. Elliott headed for the toaster.

"Ok, who took all the wholegrain?" he asked, holding up the empty packet.

"Sleep well?" Makoa said, ignoring Elliott's question completely.

If there was one thing Elliott was good at, it was bravado, and at least in this case he had no reason to pretend. He landed a hand on Tae Joon's rear, taking him by surprise.

"Eventually," he said smoothly.

Tae Joon could already feel himself blushing as everyone else suddenly became very interested in their breakfast.

"Oh please," Elliott continued. "You all wish you could score someone as hot as this."

Ajay chuckled. "I heard that," she said with a smile.

And just like that, it was almost old news. No one had any comments on the situation, no one made it awkward for them. If anything, they seemed quite pleased, and while Tae Joon knew it was more for Elliott than it was for him, he found he didn't mind. 

-

After they had eaten, Tae Joon and Elliott parted ways. Dread it though he might, Tae Joon still had to compete. Elliott was still on personal leave and was therefore excused, but that didn't stop him from cornering Tae Joon before he left to board the dropship, pressing him into a corner and telling him to be careful in between biting kisses. 

"It's ok, Elliott," Tae Joon said, feeling the familiar hear begin to blossom within him, making him wish he could skip out   
on the match and go wherever Elliott went. 

"You come back to me, you hear?" Elliott said, and though his tone was nonchalant, Tae Joon understood the meaning behind his words.

"How could I not?" he replied.

-

Ironically, what would turn out to be Tae Joon's last match would also be the only one he ever won. Teamed with Pathfinder and Renee, it was an easy win, which ended with a clever use of portals to evade the final ring. Tae Joon was pretty much only there to make up the numbers; Renee could tell that his heart wasn't it, and she had pulled him to one side to tell him to get his head out of his ass once they had made it to the top five. Tae Joon promised to try harder, and made good on that promise by wiping the next squad they came across and picking up Renee, who had watched him work whilst bleeding out into the dirt. Then it was just a matter of waiting out on top of the Sorting Facility while the ring closed in. 

Tae Joon had never been through one of Renee's portals before. It was a bizarre experience as he moved at unfathomable speed whist feeling as though he were standing still. The ring stung where it caught him on the other side, but he had seen this particular trick of hers many times in the past and he jumped back in just as the last squad succumbed. The announcer's voice rang out, proclaiming them as the champions as the ring damage was nulled, and Renee slapped him on the back while Pathfinder clapped his hands together excitedly.

"Great job, friends!"

-

They returned to the complex quite late that night, having been waylaid by interviews and photo shoots before they had even had time to lick their wounds. Elliott was waiting with the others in the rec room as they came through the door, and he strode right over to Tae Joon and gave him a deep kiss in front of everyone.

"You did it," he said breathlessly, beaming. Everyone else was soon congratulating him on his first win, and Tae Joon felt a strange combination of smothered and elated. It did feel good to win, even knowing what he knew, and he almost felt a pang of regret that he would not get this chance again. The retreat was in two days time, and after that, he thought heavily as he gazed around the room at the people before him, it was likely that none of them would ever compete again.

-

Tae Joon and Elliott sat side by side at dinner that night. Everyone else was there, laughing and joking and drinking and generally having a great time. It was supposed to be a celebration, after all. Octavio was in particularly high spirits, even though his squad had been eliminated after barely scraping through into the top ten, dashing around the room, trying to cajole Pathfinder into setting up a zipline into the hall. Their antics amused everyone as Pathfinder shot out his grapple, only to have it miss it's mark when Octavio bumped into him, crashing through a window and landing somewhere outside. Octavio leapt on it at once, forgetting that without his booster attached he wasn't going anywhere. He hung there for a moment looking stupid, until Makoa got to his feet and grabbed the tiny daredevil by the back of his shirt, pushing him with all his might, laughing the whole time. Octavio shot forward, slipping off the zipline just short of the window, landing flat on his face. There was a moment of silence while the Legend's collectively winced as one, before Octavio jumped back up, shaking his head comedically, grinning to himself. 

Disturbed by the noise, there was a sudden flurry of wings as Artur took off from Bloodhound's shoulder, flapping into the air and making a beeline for Elliott. Elliott put his hands up instinctively as the crow beat his wings in his face, while next to him Tae Joon reached out to help through his own laughter, earning a nasty scratch on the wrist when he was caught by a wayward talon. 

"Artur," Bloodhound intoned warningly, and the bird returned to his masters shoulder as if bidden by a spell. Ajay sidled next to Tae Joon at the table to examine his wrist, which looked quite nasty, while Bloodhound made their apologies on behalf of their corvid.

Elliott slid an arm around Tae Joon's shoulders and leaned forward.

"What's the diagnosis, doc?" he asked Ajay.

Ajay tutted and shook her head. "Think he's gonna lose the hand," she said with mock sadness.

"There's gotta be another way, doc," Elliott pleaded. "I mean, he's right handed." Elliott winked at her while Tae Joon blushed once more. Ajay let out a chuckle that didn't quite go with her disapproving look.

"So that's how its gonna be, huh?" she said, producing an antibac wipe from her pocket and cleaning Tae Joon's wrist.

"Yeah, pretty much," Elliott confirmed. 

Ajay shrugged. "Well, whateva," she said, smiling. "I'm happy for ya both. Never would have thought it after that first day on the ship."

Elliott smirked. "You and me both, sister," he said.

The night wore on, and slowly a few of the others came by to ask about what was going on between Tae Joon and Elliott, or occasionally just to tease them good naturedly. Natalie in particular seemed thrilled, and it wasn't until a little later that she pulled Tae Joon aside to say that she was glad Elliott had someone to help him through his grief that he really understood why.

"His mama, he must miss her very much," she said a little sadly.

"He does. I... I am sorry for your loss also."

"Merci, Hyeon," she said softly. "How about you? Your family?"

Tae Joon shook his head. "I am an orphan," he explained. "I never knew them. I have a... a sister, though."

Natalie beamed. "Must be nice. It was always just papa and I."

Tae Joon nodded over the rim of his drink, his thoughts dark. It felt strange and wrong somehow, to watch the bubbly girl before him play with the straw in her glass, knowing what he knew. How her father had been asking too many questions about why his daughter's invention had to function a certain way, about why certain aspects of the arena were designed the way they were. Eliminating Luc Paquette had been on their to do list for quite a while, but it wasn't until Natalie had perfected the ring that the Syndicate knew they no longer needed him. He and Elliott had managed half hearted conversations the night before, when they finally took a moment to be still, and Natalie's truth was the one that was maybe going to be the hardest to confront. "She'll blame herself," Elliott had said lightly. "Like I do."

"She is very special to me," Tae Joon continued, pulling himself from his thoughts.

Natalie looked over at Elliott, who was trying to convince Anita to try some strange, bright pink cocktail he had mixed, while the soldier herself was swigging from a bottle of beer with derision in her eyes.

"You know," Natalie said gently. "Perhaps I do not know him so well as the other, but Elliott is a good friend. He... He understands my need for quiet, for space. He takes care of me. He is like a big brother. But I do know this." She turned to Tae Joon. "I have never seen his happiness as genuine before." She nudged him with her elbow. "I think it is because of you."

They both looked back just in time to see Elliott's wheedling of Anita interrupted as Renee, of all people, sauntered between the two of them, snatching the drink from Elliott's hand and downing it in one. 

"She may regret that tomorrow," Natalie said with a small laugh.

It was only after quite a few more amusing incidents, incidents where Elliott used his decoys to convince a pretty drunk Renee to dance, where somehow Octavio managed to draw a moustache on Tae Joon's drone and then beg for the chance to pilot 'Senor Droney' for a little while, which ended with the drone a broken wreckage in the kitchen sink, that the party started to wind down. 

Tae Joon and Elliott returned to his room, discussing how it was vitally important that they focus on what they had to do tomorrow, a promise broken almost instantly the second they were inside. Tae Joon was still aching from the match, and what had started as an offer of a massage from Elliott soon turned into something far less forgiving, and so much better. 

They fell asleep soon after in each other's arms, not caring so much about the guilt they felt at all the moments they kept stealing from reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, but I hope it was worth the wait. 
> 
> I'm not really one for the whole smut thing, sorry again, but things can get a little PG-13 up in here. 
> 
> You all rock. X


	7. Chapter 7

For Tae Joon, at least, the pull and euphoria of finally getting to be with Elliott in the way he had wanted for so long had a short shelf life. Elliott soon fell asleep, but Tae Joon remained beside him, his eyes fixed on the darkened ceiling as guilt began to eat away at him. For just one day, Elliott had been enough to smother everything else, to shine as bright as he ever had and allow Tae Joon the chance to take a breather from the hell his life had become. Now, though, as he lay beside the man, sleeping as Elliott always did, as though a hurricane couldn't wake him, life pressed in on Tae Joon again from all sides. There was just so much to do. His stomach twisted as he imagined Mila, alone and terrified while he was here, doing the things that he and Elliott had done, safe and warm and happy, not trying to find her and fix everything. She was suffering while in an awful sort of way, a part of Tae Joon was happier than he had ever been. He was disgusted with himself, so ashamed, and he could no longer lie beside Elliott while ignoring everything else.

He climbed out of bed, gathered up his laptop, and returned to his own room.

Tae Joon didn't sleep. Instead he stared at an indifferent screen, plotting and planning and hating himself for a brand new set of reasons. He knew that the coming days would be hard; depending on what the others said, they could be nearly impossible. Everyone he spoke to in the next few days was likely going to wish they had never met him. Their whole lives were about to be ruined, part of their identities taken away, and while Tae Joon knew he wasn't to blame, it didn't really feel that way to him. 

Every time he looked at Elliott, some part of him felt terrible. Elliott had lost what little he had left, and all of it since Tae Joon had come into his life. Tomorrow, perhaps the same would happen to Octavio, perhaps he would wake up one day not long after to find everyone he cared about gone, too. Tae Joon sighed and rested his head in his hands, his elbows propped up on his desk. He and Elliott had spoken about the best way to speak to Octavio, about how to get him on board. They had toyed with the idea of making their plan of getting away to the retreat with the others seem like a prank, but in the end they had decided to just tell him the truth. Despite his usual recklessness, it was not completely out of the question that Octavio might not be so keen to break the rules again quite so soon. For all of his bravado, it had been obvious to anyone who spent more than five minutes with him that he hated being suspended. 

Besides, there were enough lies in the situation already. Tae Joon and Elliott didn't need to add any more. They would tell him the truth, and show him the files, files that meant Octane would be as dead as Mirage and Crypto now were.

Subject: Octavio Silva.

Medical investigation shows that the subject seems to be metabolising the intravenous stimulant at a decreased rate, almost certainly due to the increase in concentration. Short term side effects appear to be a small increase in agitation and anger. Long term effects are as follows:

Heightened blood pressure.  
Temperament degeneration.  
Weakening of the left ventricle. (Irreversible.)  
Kidney damage. (Irreversable)

Given the subject's age and lifestyle, damage from further use of unmodified stim would prove negligible. With the current formula, cardiac and renal failure within five years. (Fatal). 

It had been horrifying to read. No one on the ship really spoke about it, but it was no secret that Octavio was the living embodiment of the phrase 'addictive personality'. Energy drinks, video games, his stim. Octavio consumed them all as if it were his last chance to do so, and listened to no one when they told him to slow down or stop. To tell him that the things he had come to rely on, his crutches, were slowly killing him... well, Tae Joon had already balked enough in the face of that to pass it off to Elliott. Elliott and Octavio were like little kids when they got together, laughing and joking and being stupid. Tae Joon thought the daredevil liked him well enough, but not enough to hear life changing news from his lips. Elliott would know both the best way to say it, and the best way to deal with the fallout afterwards.

The sun began to peek through his curtains, and Tae Joon cast a frustrated look at his bed, knowing that denying himself sleep any longer would only be detrimental. The coming days were going to be tough enough as it was, without him deliberately making it harder for himself. He climbed into his bed, a small pang of regret that he was alone letting itself be felt before he could squash it, and closed his eyes. He wondered how Elliott could sleep so well when there was so much on the line, but then, he supposed, he and Elliott were very different people. Not all of Elliott's confidence and self-assurance was an act; there was no doubt that the man bought into his own hype just a little bit. Elliott slept in comfortable denial, something Tae Joon had never been able to do. Tae Joon was always waiting for the next terrible thing to happen, even while he was still trying to deal with the one before. Tae Joon's real problem was that he was scared his whole world would go to hell while he was sleeping again. Elliott's, he supposed, already had. The desire to suddenly run to Elliott, to make sure he was safe was almost overwhelming, but Tae Joon had to try and keep a level head. The problem was, the thoughts and feelings he was having now made sanity seem impossible. Every time he thought his feet were on solid ground, his heart would ache in his chest and pound against his ribs, sending him reeling again.

Eventually he managed to fall asleep, but it was light and restless, and he awoke halfway through the morning feeling terrible. A headache was creeping in behind his eyes, which felt dry and sore. He was just trying to gather his thoughts together when there was a frantic knocking at the door.

Tae Joon leapt out of bed and threw the door wide, his hair a tousled mess and his t shirt rucked up on one side. Standing in his doorway he saw Elliott, still in the shirt and sweats he slept in, his eyes wide and his face pale. When he saw Tae Joon, however, he visibly relaxed, breathing out softly as he took a step back, one hand still leaning on the door frame.

"Oh, ok, there you are," he said in a hoarse whisper.

Tae Joon smiled gently. "Where did you think I was?"

Elliott's eyes narrowed. "I don't know! I just woke up and you were gone! I don't know if you remember this, but we're kinda in the middle of the fight of our lives? And you, you're like the most wanted man in the Outlands. I... I was scared."

Tae Joon looked slightly apologetic. "I'm sorry, I- Wait. You only just woke up?"

Elliott shrugged. "I need my beauty sleep."

Tae Joon stepped over the threshold of his room and pressed a gentle kiss to Elliott's lips. "No you don't," he murmured apreciatively. He felt Elliott's arms snake around his waist and he pressed himself a little more firmly into the other man, relishing his solidness, his warmth. 

"When are you thinking of speaking to Octavio?" Tae Joon asked reluctantly, as Elliott was starting to do some interesting work on his jaw.

Elliott sighed and straightened up. "It was next on my list. Right after 'make sure the nerd is still alive'."

Tae Joon frowned at him. "Well, this nerd is very much alive, but time is running out Elliott." He stepped backwards into his room. "Maybe you should get dressed and go and see him now."

Elliott actually whined. "Fine," he said grumpily. "What are you going to do?"

"I need to work on my drones some more. I'll meet you both in the workshop." 

Tae Joon watched until Elliott was out of sight. The part of him that wanted all of this to be over was gaining more and more traction with every moment that passed. He wanted to stop being scared, he wanted Elliott to be able to wake up and not be sent spiralling just because Tae Joon wasn't close by. He wanted Mila home, he wanted to be out of the Games and the Syndicate's clutches, far away with Mila and Elliott and Mystik, where he could love without feeling guilty and paranoid. There was still so much to do, however, so far to go before that point. He headed to his closet to get dressed, and with trepidation made his way to the workshop to wait for Elliott and Octavio. 

It was almost an hour before the other two men arrived. Tae Joon had the casing off of his drone once more, and was soldering some wires when the heavy door slammed open. He looked up, pushing the welding mask from his face, to see Elliott entering the room looking anxious. Elliott came and stood beside him, facing the door as Octavio suddenly came bursting through, slamming it behind him and pounding his fists against the wood in anger.

Tae Joon opened his mouth to say something, but Elliott just reached out and placed a hand on his arm to stop him. There was a quiet rage to Elliott too, one Tae Joon had come to know and, honestly, to admire. It was indignation, an anger against the world that it could treat the people he cared about so badly. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on Elliott's shoulder, and was rewarded when the other man seemed to relax a little under his touch. Elliott's eyes were still watching Octavio warily, but he lifted his own hand to place it over Tae Joon's. 

After a few tense moments, Octavio turned to face them, his hands balled into fists at his sides. 

"Alright," he said. "Show me."

Tae Joon slipped his hand from beneath Elliott's and walked over to his laptop. Octavio's file had already been pulled up on the screen. Tae Joon had wanted to be prepared for when the daredevil arrived, just in case he needed any more convincing, but it seemed as though he trusted Elliott enough to take him at his word. Elliott may have been a self-confessed liar at times, but everyone knew that most of the lies Elliott told were about himself. 

Octavio walked over to the laptop. It was strange to see him approaching anything so slowly, but completely understandable. He was about to read a paragraph that might well change his life forever. The room was silent a part from the click of Octavio's metallic feet on the workshop floor. They watched him as his eyes scanned the screen of the laptop, nervous, both wanting to fill the silence with explanations and words of support and sympathy, both too tense to do either.

After a while, Octavio turned to face Tae Joon. "I'm... I'm with you." He sounded almost resigned to the fact, as if he had been waiting for something like this to come along the whole time.

Tae Joon tilted his head at him slightly while Elliott raised an eyebrow.

"Octavio?" Tae Joon prompted. 

Octavio shrugged. "Lately I've just been having this, I don't know, this feeling, like soon I wasn't gonna be in the Games. My heart hadn't been in it for a while, compadres. And this..." He pointed at the screen, a mirthless smile crossing his face "...this is bad. I mean, I'm no angel, but this is diabolical." 

He glanced over at Elliott. "Its terrible," he said quietly. 

Elliott shrugged. "Yeah, but me and him? We're gonna fix it."

Octavio sighed. "May already be too broken, Ell," he muttered, glancing back at the laptop. "How were you planning on doing that, by the way?"

Elliott looked at Tae Joon. "Right now, it's just about getting Mila home. And we need all the help we can get."

Tae Joon smiled at him gratefully. "I- we understand if you can't help us," he said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. Octavio had no real reason not to just walk away from the whole mess and start again somewhere new. They both knew he had enough of a presence outside of the Games to just carry on as a celebrity in his own right, continuing his stunts to please his fans, making more money than he ever needed from his sponsors. Even if he'd had enough of that lifestyle, he still had his trust fund to fall back on. If he helped them, not only would he lose all of that, but his life would be in danger, very likely until the day it ended. Tae Joon suddenly felt incredibly guilty about asking for his help at all.

Octavio shrugged. "Hey, the party had to stop sometime. Don't get me wrong, I know I don't have exactly the healthiest lifestyle, but honestly?" He pointed at the laptop once more. "The only person I want poisoning me is me, yeah?"

Elliott smirked. "About that..." he began delicately. 

Octavio waved his hands. "I know," he said. "No genius, but not stupid enough to slowly kill myself either compadre. It's as good as gone."

"That gonna be a problem?" Elliot asked warily, looking Octavio up and down. 

"I'll speak to Ajay, see what she knows to help me." It would have been hard to miss the dark look that passed between Elliott and Tae Joon. "Honestly, I'll be alright. Never use the stuff outside of matches anymore, haven't for a while."

Tae Joon nodded. He didn't want to press the issue. What he needed to do now was make sure that Octavio knew what was going on and really understood the weight of the choice he might make. He took a deep breath.

"Octavio, you do realise what Elliott and I are asking of you, yes?" he said heavily. "Of how much we are asking of you?"

"Elliott may have mentioned something about destroying my life completely," Octavio replied with a wave of the hand. 

Tae Joon glared at Elliott.

"That's not exactly how I put it, to be fair," Elliott protested. Tae Joon held his gaze.

"But it is pretty close," Elliott concluded. 

Tae Joon sighed and stepped closer to Octavio. "It is different for me," he said gently. "I have to get my sister back. And Elliott..." He let out a soft exhale. 

"Everything left that matters to me is in this room," Elliott said. It could have been such a soppy and romantic thing to say, had Elliott's tone not been one of such bitterness that it actually hurt Tae Joon a little to hear. 

Elliott caught the look on Tae Joon's face, but before he could say anything Octavio jumped in.

"Ah, amigo, I never knew you cared so much," he said dryly. "But seriously, I meant what I said. From what you've told me, those bastards are trying to build super soldiers. And I'm part of that. If the world goes to hell, some of that's on these shoulders."

"You couldn't have known," Tae Joon insisted.

"Perhaps," Octavio replied with a shrug. "But now I do. Maybe some of my recklessness could go towards a good cause for once."

"You know you can never come back, right?"

Octavio sighed. "Come back to what?" he said a little sadly. "Even the Games aren't worth it for me anymore, not after what they did."

Tae Joon nodded, remembering the way they had manipulated Octavio into acting rashly, how angry and upset he had been. "Is that enough for you to choose a worse kind of life though? Where you are always in danger, always running?"

Octavio smirked. "Running's kinda my thing amigo," he deadpanned. "This is too big to ignore. It's bigger than me and my social media account, for sure." He wandered over to his and Pathfinder's area of the workshop, picking up a wrench from the floor and playing with it in his hands. "What about the others? You're going to tell them, right?"

Elliott nodded. "Not like we couldn't. I mean, would you rather we hadn't told you?" The question was not one that needed to be answered. If they hadn't told Octavio, it would have killed him.

"What about afterwards?" Octavio asked. "I mean, we can't just let them carry on, right? Once your sister is safe, we've still got the whole damn Syndicate to take down."

"I don't know if that... If that will be possible," Tae Joon said slowly. "As you said, this is much, much bigger than just us."

"It won't be just us though," Octavio said quickly. "The others, when they see this, I can't imagine they won't want to help. We've all been damaged by them, haven't we?"

"That might not matter, Tav," Elliott said shaking his head. "They've got other people to think about, and taking on the Syndicate puts them all in danger."

Octavio huffed and crossed his arms. "You've been here since almost the start, you know these guys," Octavio said determinedly. "They won't be able to stand by while the things they're good at are used to... to... well, whatever the hell the Syndicate's got planned, it can't be good. In fact, it sounds real bad."

Tae Joon walked over to his laptop and brought up a different file. "See for yourself," he told Octavio. 

They waited once more while Octavio read, both of them feeling a rising sense of dread. For the past few days they had existed in a sort of perfumed limbo, where the things that needed to be done still seemed so far away, and a little less terrifying. Now that there was someone else involved, that their little resistance was growing, it was becoming so real. Tae Joon found himself reaching for Elliott's hand, and wasn't surprised when Elliott squeezed him back, hard.

Octavio straightened up. "Ok, what's next?" he asked. 

For the next hour, Elliott and Tae Joon filled them in on his plan. Elliott was going to make a few calls to get them a ship they could fly out to the retreat from the nearest port, while Tae Joon had moved some numbers about on his screen to make sure it was well stocked with weapons and ammunition. Octavio mentioned that there were people who worked at his parents company who would gladly send some meds through to the port, and hopefully the others, whoever agreed to help them, could have their own ways to lend a hand too. It was a scrappy plan, full of holes and ways that things could go wrong, but it was the best they had. Tae Joon confessed that he wasn't normally so poorly prepared, but the news that Mila was still alive had completely turned his world upside down.

"And what about you two?" Octavio asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That was... unexpected," Tae Joon said quietly. 

Elliott gave him a soft smile. "What can I say? I'm just full of surprises."

It made him feel petulant, but Tae Joon was still smarting a little from Elliott's tone before. "It doesn't change anything," he said, slightly cold. 

If Octavio noticed the sudden tension, he didn't say anything. "You know I saw Ajay and Natalie talking earlier," he began with bitterness in his voice. "They were talking about sunscreen. Seems so stupid now, but they... They just seemed so excited, you know? I remember when Ajay first left home, and she was so cut up about it cause she might not like them much but she still loved them, her parents, si?" Octavio's face darkened. "It's all wrong."

Tae Joon and Elliott could only agree with their silence. After a few more words, Octavio seemed to gain some kind of resolution, and left to make the calls he needed to. Elliott and Tae Joon were left along in the workshop, the awkwardness between them still hanging in the air.

Elliott spoke first, because it seemed it would always be Elliott who closed the spaces between them.

"I say something wrong?" he asked, trying to sound offhand.

Tae Joon looked away. "No," he lied. 

"Once more," Elliott said with a hint of sarcasm. "But this time, even less believeable."

Tae Joon sighed. "No, really. I am being stupid."

Elliott looked amused. "From the guy who can't wait to tell people what a genius he is."

Tae Joon rolled his eyes. "I just... I want to be enough for you," he confessed. He looked up at Elliott. "I want to... to be the reason you don't hurt anymore."

He felt ridiculous, like a stupid kid with a dumb infatuation, but it was the truth. He waited, his eyes cast down to the floor, trying to keep himself from saying the one thing that had truly been on his mind since the first time Elliott had kissed him.

"You're... you couldn't be," Elliott said softly. Tae Joon tensed beneath his gaze. "I'm hurting, Tae. I'm hurting and I'm angry all the time. It's so much I can hardly stand it. But... I meant what I said. I'm bitter that it's just you, ok? I'm tired of losing people and I'm scared that one day you'll be gone too. But you... you're making it easier. You're the reason that these feelings will never have to defr- define me. You're... making it better."

Tae Joon looked to the floor. "So I'm just something to fill the time until those feelings go away?" he muttered.

Elliott blinked at him. "You think you're what? A distraction?" Elliot sounded angry. "Well, you're not. You're more like... like compensation."

Tae Joon snorted. "Yes, that is so much better," he said lightly.

Elliott crossed the room and grabbed him by the arms. 

"It is. It damn well is! The universe keeps throwing punches at me and I'm trying so hard to roll with them, but it's not easy." He relaxed his grip, sighing softly. "Even when I hated you, it was the most I've felt in ages. And now that I-" Elliott seemed to stop. "Don't," he continued heavily, "it's not just enough." His teeth worried at his lower lip for a moment. "You're exactly what I need." He brought his face close to Tae Joon's own. "And everything I want. I'm sorry if that's not what you want to hear. But it's the truth. Being with you, it's terrifying, because I want you so much, I need you so much, and the thought of not getting to have you is tearing me up inside."

Tae Joon felt himself ache. "I'm... I'm never going to go away, Elliott," he murmured against Elliott's lips. "I need you, too."

They left the workshop half an hour later, safe in the knowledge that it didnt really matter what state they had left it in behind them. Their encounter had been hard and desperate, with each man needing to take as much as they could from the other, the desire to forget and believe all encompassing. Tae Joon had never felt anything like it, the act no where near as important as who it was with. His whole mind was consumed by Elliott. His scent, his touch, even just the ghost of his name on his lips sent Tae Joon reeling. And the feeling, the euphoric pleasure that came with hearing Elliott cry out for him, needy and wanting, made his whole body hum. When they were tangled together, sweat pouring and blood pumping, the whole world fell away. Sex with Elliott was almost spiritual, and Tae Joon lived and died in their moments of ecstasy. He had never felt a love like it before, and it meant everything to him. The words remained unspoken, they weren't quite there yet, but for Tae Joon, Elliott had become the moon and stars, his reason to carry on, his everything. 

They spent the night sleeping in each other's arms. The morning promised hardships, and they were both too fraught with fear to do anything but hold the other close. They woke before sunrise, separating from one another to make sure they had everything they needed. Tae Joon scoured his room, making sure his drones were ready to go, and his computer completely wiped to the point of being practically brand new. Once he was certain he had taken everything he had to, he made his way to meet Elliott and Octavio.

They were going to journey to the port with the others, making a big show of how pissed they were to be missing out on the retreat. Elliott had even managed to make up some crude, passive aggressive signs wishing them to have fun, but not too much fun. Once there, they were going to wait until the others had left and then Elliott said he had a ship coming in. 

The first part of the plan went off without a hitch. There was a lot of good natured ribbing between the legends who were going and the other three, just in case anyone was watching, and then they were gone, off for at least a few hours of relaxation before Elliott, Tae Joon and Octavio arrived to change all that, possibly forever. After that it was just a matter of hanging around the port long enough for Elliott's ride to show up

After a few hours Elliott's new phone, which he had been holding tightly in his hand and checking every few seconds, gave off a small beep. He looked down at the screen briefly and then nodded to Tae Joon and Octavio. 

The port was a huge, sprawling place, but ramshackle and slapped together too. The more official flights, the kinds that carried people who had paid their way, took place in the area the three had just left. Further down the line was trade, cargo and the like, with a vast spread of market stalls selling imported goods at questionable prices, with everyone turning a blind eye because you never knew if you might be in need of a place like that yourself one day. Further along, the port stopped being a port and spilled out into dank and damp alleys and streets lit with flickering neon signs. No one went there unless they had to, and the types of people who had to be there were not the kinds of people you really wanted to meet. Tae Joon had spent a lot of time in places like this since Mila had disappeared, trading information with shadowy figures in the dead of night, ignoring the stench of filth and blood that reached every part of the place. Definitely he felt safer in places like this than trying to break into the Syndicate's offices, but not by much. It was not a crime to come hear, but it was understood that you could expect to see some if you happened by.

In any other place, the ship that Elliott's contact had procured for him would have been beyond noticeable. It was a large, dented ship, much like their very own dropship but a little on the smaller side. It looked as though it had seen it's fair share of fights, with scrappy panels that didn't match welded here and there along it's hull, every inch of the metal scratched or battered in some way. However, it was attracting as much attention as anything in this area of town did. No one was stupid enough to see anything that didn't concern them, be it the massive ship idling at the end of the broken, disused runway, or the guy in the doorway with his hat pulled down low over his eyes, his jacket lined with all sorts of contraband. 

"We should move quickly," Tae Joon muttered as Octavio seemed to be taking too much of an interest in the various wares been offered out, which was to say, any interest at all. 

"Right," Elliott muttered in return, grabbing Octavio by the arm and marching him towards their transport.

Elliott was wearing a wide brimmed baseball cap and and oversized hoodie, and as such seemed to blend right in with the rest of the places inhabitants. Octavio, on the other hand, had been adamant that he wear his Octane mask and goggles, and had thrown on a pair of jeans under much protest, only caving in when Tae Joon pointed out that they were trying to hide who they were. Stealthy was sort of the opposite of any game plan Octavio had ever had, be it in competition or out in the real world, but it seemed as though reality had sobered him up a little to the truth of how dangerous what they were trying to do was. Octavio had always played a little fast and loose with his own life, but he was far from the type of bastard a person needed to be to do it with the lives of others. Still, it was proving to be a work in progress for the kid who had never had to worry about cleaning up his own messes, who had everything he ever wanted, materialistically speaking, handed to him without question. It would be a lot safer to get themselves on the ship, where Octavio could bounce around the walls all day long without attracting any unwanted attention.

They hurried to the ship, and Elliott hammered on the door impatiently. They waited for a few tense minutes, but no one came to let them in. Elliott sighed and pulled out his phone. It beeped in his hand almost immediately. Elliott scanned the screen, frowned, and then showed the message to Tae Joon.

\- sorry buddy, this is where I get off. The extras under the bunk in the room in the back. Don't worry about the MV, she's in good hands. Already been repainted and everything - J -

Tae Joon looked at Elliott. "What does this mean?"

Elliott shrugged and ran his hand over the back of his neck. "Couldn't get the funds over from Solace in time so I, uh, I sold the party boat."

"Oh, compadre," Octavio said with heavy sympathy in his voice. "Not the Mirage Voyage? I love that thing!"

Tae Joon wrinkled his nose. He remembered the boat well, with its massive dancing holograms and the portraits of Elliott on the walls. His first thought on seeing it was that if the competition didn't get him first, it was possible that Tae Joon might just die from laughter. Recently he'd reassembled a few of those thoughts into thinking he wouldn't mind a smaller version of the pictures to keep on his person, but the fact remained that the boat was just so ridiculous. It was everything Mirage was supposed to be, and, as much as he hated to think it, everything Elliott wished he was. It was loud and bright and you couldn't help but see it, even if it was just to laugh at it. Tae Joon felt something sour worm it's way into his thoughts, and he had no choice but to slip his arm around Elliott's waist and pull him close, just to keep it at bay. Everything that Elliott was, all of it, from his charm to his bravery to his over the top bravado, was what Tae Joon adored about him. His nonsense was as much a part of him as his incredible mind and his self deprecation. 

"It's just a boat," Elliott said with a small laugh, misinterpreting Tae Joon's need for closeness as an attempt at condolence. 

Tae Joon coughed and pull himself away. Elliott managed to wrench the door open, and stood to one side, allowing Tae Joon and Octavio to enter first. 

Tae Joon shrugged his heavy rucksack from his back and dropped it on the grated floor with a thump. His shoulders ached a little. He was wearing a dark jacket over jeans and a t-shirt. The coat that he had once loved, that had been ruined the moment it became a symbol of 'Crypto', had been left back at the facility. He wouldn't miss the association that came with it but, he admitted as he rubbed his left shoulder gently, he would miss the extra padding.

He sighed and looked around the ship. It was much the same story on the inside as it had been on the outside. Battered walls, soldering scars and scratches seemed to be everywhere. The floor was hard underfoot, metallic grating giving a glimpse to the cold steel below that made up the inner hull. It reminded him a lot of the drop ship, although not as, well, nice. It had a large space in the centre, a collection of ragged looking flight seats arranged to face each other in a circle, and nooks in the walls, not as large as the areas they had had, but reminiscent. The place had the strong scent of oil and grease, the kind that has been mixed with mud and trodden in, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that this particular rust bucket had been hanging out in some junkyard somewhere for quite a while. "Elliott," Tae Joon called behind himself as Octavio zoomed down the other end of the ship towards the cockpit. "Please tell me this wasn't all you got for the Voyage?"

Elliott quickly glanced up to see if Octavio was still present before coming up behind Tae Joon and sliding his hands around his waist, resting his chin on the hacker's shoulder. "Not an idiot," he said softly into Tae Joon's ear. "Paid for Octavio's contact to spot us some meds. There's some food, some weapons, specialised stuff for whoever wants to tag along."

Tae Joon managed to free himself from Elliott's grip and turned to face him, looking aghast. "You paid for Octavio's supplies? Octavio?"

Elliott shrugged. "Octavio doesn't so much have money as he has stuff bought for him. Don't think the kid's ever actually been inside a store." 

Tae Joon smiled softly at Elliott. "And this? Where did this ship come from? Is it sound?"

Elliott made a side to side motion with his hand. "Eh, more or less," he said, not entirely reassuringly. "Look, J, he's a total coward but he knows his stuff. Met him back when I was just a lowly, outrageously handsome bartender. He, uh, he used to bring me cheap meds for mom. I know it was a little bit risky but we didn't really have much of a choice. But the guy can get you anything for a price, and he doesn't deal in crappy goods. Says it's no good for business. Or his kneecaps."

Tae Joon relented a little. He understood entirely what it was like to trade safe for cheap every time Mila got sick or one of them got hurt. He looked around the ship. "As long as it stays in one piece. Who did you get to fly it?"

Elliott flushed a little. "Um... me?" he confessed.

Tae Joon looked at Elliott sternly. "You are not a pilot," he reminded him.

"Maybe not officially, no," Elliott said offhandedly. "But come on man, I had a party boat. How can I have a thing like that and not fly it once or twice?"

"And by once or twice you mean?"

"Alright, once," Elliott admitted while Tae Joon let out a strangled cry of exasperation. "But it wasn't a problem. All these things are basically the same."

Tae Joon pressed his hand to his forehead. "The Mirage Voyage was huge. Almost as big as your stupid ego. This thing is smaller and faster, what we're you thinking?"

"You got a better plan? Gonna hack the the ship into flying itself? Or maybe the three of us could squeeze onto the back of your drone?"

Elliott's words might have sounded harsh, but he was grinning, a soft reprimand in his eyes. Tae Joon took it to mean what Elliott had intended it to. Even when he had been fighting his way into the Games, Tae Joon had been prepared. He had had time. Now he knew he was going to have to get used to heading into situations sometimes without all the facts and half a plan. There was no time to know every last detail, and sometimes he was just going to have to accept the things that set his teeth on edge, such as Elliott thinking he could fly this thing and having no other choice than to hope he was right.

The door to the cockpit suddenly burst open and Octavio flew into the room. He was still wearing his heavy rucksack on his shoulders, and he paid the other two no mind as he raced past them, down a corridor to another small room lined with bunks. "Dibs top bunk!" he shouted, his voice echoing down the metallic hallways as they heard the sound on him dropping his pack to the ground.

"Do you think Octavio perhaps does not realise how serious this all is?" Tae Joon asked Elliott lightly.

"I think he does, and that's why he's so excited," Elliott replied wearily. 

They had decided to wait until sunset to leave. There was a lot to be done before they could set off. Elliott and Octavio got to work sorting through the supplies, starting in the small galley and then the medbay, before finally stowing the weapons in the hold. Tae Joon's main job was to fiddle with the radar, meaning the ship would be hidden from detection as they approached the retreat. The staff there were minimal, but Elliott had told him that all sorts of automated equipment was in place to make sure that the Legends weren't disturbed by people from the outside, the press and so on. 

Octavio offered to make dinner and was promptly shouted down by both men, who had separately witnessed him set the toaster aflame on numerous occasions. Instead, Tae Joon made noodles and vegetables, while Octavio lamented that he had already run through half of his energy drink provisions. Then, once they were fed, it was time to head out, with Tae Joon following closely behind Elliott as he made his way to the cockpit.

To his relief, surprise and adoration, Elliott could not only fly the ship, but managed to perform quite a smooth take off. However, Tae Joon could tell that he was far from comfortable in the role, and hoped that Anita would be one of those they could convince to help their cause. With her, it could be both easy and difficult if her profile was anything to go by.

Operation: Gunsmoke.

Anita Williams has been elected by this commitee to be our show piece, as it were. As a former IMC soldier, it is believed that Williams will be amenable to our cause. While her smoke grenade and artillery strikes remain uninteresting as far as our research team is concerned, her ability to move faster under fire is intriguing. Mentions of experimental drugs unknowingly given to IMC soldiers have been rife for years, but Williams is the only subject to exhibit some truth to the rumours. Medical assessments show some change to her neurological impulses at some point. Once we are established, a disection is advised. Simmons in bio is lead on the project, and has shown some unrest at having to wait so long.

Information on the status of Williams's brother to be withheld from her until it proves useful. 

Note: As far as we know, he was KIA. No search and rescue teams were ever dispatched to find out. 

It wasn't a long flight by any means, just under an hour, and Tae Joon spent the journey at Elliott's side, navigating for him and going over and over what it was they planned to say when they arrived. Once night had fallen, the staff at the resort tended to leave the Legends to their own devices, retiring to their own lodgings right on the edge of the resort and only coming if one of them requested it. Elliott bumpily landed the ship as far from the staff house as possible without the three of them having to have one hell of a walk and they disembarked, Tae Joon's laptop stowed safely in his bag.

The island was one of the last few places in the Outlands that could really be called a paradise. Throughout the year, those who could afford it paid outrageous sums of money to be waited on hand and foot as they lounged on sandy white beaches in the shade of flowing palm fronds, with spa facilities and a fine dining restaurant available to anyone who wanted them. The resort's true charm lay in the fact that it was almost always practically empty. No one ever had to wait in line, and they paid extravagantly for the isolation the resort offered. It was a source of petty amusement for Tae Joon that the Syndicate was footing the bill for the place where hopefully, the revolution against them would begin.

They left the ship close to a thick outcrop of trees, hoping it would suffice. Their footseps were heavy as they marched across the sand towards to glowing fires that lit the main area of the resort, and none of them spoke as walked, starting already to feel exhausted even though their night was far from over.

As they approached, they could hear loud music thumping through the walls, and the sounds of laughter coming from within. The main building was a large, wooden affair, scattered with cosy chairs and a bar inside surrounding a roaring log fire. They crouched low by the wall to the entrance, while Tae Joon took his drone from his back.

"Should we be offended that they're having such a good time without us?" Elliott muttered. Tae Joon silenced him with a wave of his hand and sent his drone out to check for anyone there who shouldn't be. The coast appeared to be clear, so he signalled his drone back and, with nothing else left to lose, the three of them headed for the door.

It was Makoa who spotted them first. He was at the bar, removing the caps from a couple of beers when he spotted them. His face split into a wide grin at the sight and he began to laugh.

"Was wondering when you two were gonna show up," he said, pointing at Elliott and Octavio with the bottle opener. "Bit surprised to see you, Hyeon, but then I guess, wherever Elliott goes..."

"I follow," Tae Joon finished for him, just as the others began to notice their appearance. 

Natalie crossed over to them, a pool cue held in her hand. "You are not supposed to be here, no?" she admonished playfully.

"That's right," Anita piped up behind her, her voice hard. "Not being here was supposed to be punishment for the dick move you guys pulled on me."

"Hey, what can I say?" Elliot began smoothly. "I'm a rebel." Tae Joon nudged him meaningfully in the ribs. 

"Right, sorry."

Anita didn't seem to notice the stiffness between them. She strode over to Elliott and stood in front of him, her arms folded and a stern look on her face. Then all at once, she broke, grinning widely as she pulled Elliott into a one armed hug.

"Glad you made it, fellas," she said warmly. 

"Eh, you may come to eat those words, compadre," Octavio said hesitantly as Ajay sauntered over to punch him playfully on the arm. Ajay's expression fell as she saw the look on Octavio's face. 

"Tavi?" she prompted her friend.

Tae Joon took a deep breath and stepped forward, a silent instruction that perhaps it would be wise for them all to listen to him for a moment. Elliott and Octavio looked at him, the rest of the Legends following their lead as Pathfinder shut off the music blasting from the sound system in the corner. 

Tae Joon looked wretched. "There is something I must discuss with you all," he said softly. "I know we have not spent much time together, but I hope you can trust me as Elliott and Octavio have. 

He looked around the room. Makoa was still standing behind the bar, his hands flat on the counter, his face almost unreadable. Natalie, Anita and Ajay were still standing a few feet in front of them, looking wary. 

In the corner, Bloodhound, who had been sitting quietly on the floor, rose to their feet and began to walk over. Caustic looked up from the armchair he had been reading in, a small pair of glasses balanced on the bridge of his nose. Renee, who had been leaning against the edge of the pool table straightened up, jerking her head suddenly in a way the rest of them were all too familiar with as the voices chimed in her head. 

"Lets, uh, let's go sit down. Not like the guy's on trial," Elliott spoke into the silence. The group converged on the sofas in the centre of the room, all of them on high alert. Ajay kept watching Octavio warily, as if his subdued demeanour was the biggest red flag to go on. 

"It must be serious," Caustic spoke gruffly once they were all seated. "This one has yet to break anything yet." He pointed at Octavio, who responded only with the smallest smirk. 

"Yes," Tae Joon said softly.

"Then let us hear you out."

Tae Joon sighed heavily and pulled his laptop from his bag. "None of this is going to be... easy to hear. We want you to know, nothing is expected of any of you. But the truth... you must be told for your own sakes. I am only asking that you listen, that you believe me when I say that what you are about to be told is the truth."

Renee brought her hand to her temple. Everyone turned to look at her, waiting for the assessment of the voice in her head. "Ok," was all she said softly. 

Tae Joon began by telling them his own truth. He was nervous to do so, but he knew that Elliott was right when he told him that it was the best way to start and gain their trust. He told them about himself and Mila, about the algorithm, about waking up to find Mila missing and his name top of the wanted list. As he spoke he was pulled back to that night in the ruins of Elliott's brother's house, of the first time he had said all of this out loud. Elliott was sitting beside him, his hands clasped together, elbows on his knees as he let Tae Joon talk. Tae Joon sighed as he got to the end of his story and looked at them all, waiting for their inevitable questions. 

"Don't mean this aggressively, but why should we believe you?" Anita said, her voice gentle. 

Tae Joon looked at his laptop. "It's all in there," he said. "What they did to me. To... to Elliott."

Anita's eyes snapped over to Elliott, along with many others. "You?"

Elliott held her gaze. "Mom," he said simply. 

Anita narrowed her eyes. "What about your mom?" she asked.

"They... They did it. They..." Elliott trailed off and finally looked away. Tae Joon heard Natalie's faint gasp, and the saw the slight lowering of Bloodhound's face. 

"Why?" Makoa asked, his voice much softer than usual. 

Elliott just shook his head. "We're not sure," Tae Joon supplied into the silence. "I think it has something to do with her holo work."

"It was to sell merch," Elliott cut in angrily. He sniffed heavily and shifted in his seat. 

"We don't know that," Tae Joon said under his breath, turning to the other man. Elliott just huffed in response. 

"How did you come by this information?" asked Bloodhound.

"Guys a hacker, compadre, how do you think?" Octavio cut in.

Tae Joon ran a hand through his hair. He felt Elliott stiffen beside him. "I got it by lying to one of you," he said evenly. He saw the group collectively tighten, shoulders hunching and backs straightening. Tae Joon looked over to Pathfinder, who had remained standing behind Natalie and Makoa. 

"I am sorry, Pathfinder," he said. 

Pathfinder's screen flickered to a question mark. "I don't understand. When did you lie to me, friend?"

"I used you," Tae Joon said. "I pretended I was looking for your creator when I was going through your files, but really I was just using you as a back door into the Syndicate's network."

"But friend Mirage said I could trust you." It was awful, the way that Pathfinder's voice remained so innocent as he spoke, his tone more curious than accusatory. Tae Joon felt terrible. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, burning into him. Renee in particular seemed most put out. Whether it was because Tae Joon's actions were contradicting what the voices in her head told her, or the fact that she had always been very protective of the MRVN he couldn't say, but there was no escaping the fact that perhaps the second most paranoid member of the squad was now on high alert.

Elliott stood up, stepping over Tae Joon's legs to get to Pathfinder. "I- I'm sorry, man. No excuse, but I didn't feel good about it."

Pathfinder's head moved to look at Elliott. "You could have just asked. You are my best friend."

Elliott looked like someone had punched him in the gut. "I should have. Man, I'm sorry, you're right. We should have asked." He ran his hands over his face. 

Caustic cleared his throat loudly. "The machine's feelings aside," he said snidely, "what exactly did you find? You would not be telling us any of this if it did not concern us somehow."

Elliott nodded at The Joon, and then walked away from the group with Pathfinder close behind. While they stood in the corner and spoke, Tae Joon explained to the rest what they had found, about how their were files relating to each of them, how they were being tested on and used. How a lot of the terrible things that had happened to them had been engineered by the Syndicate itself.

Natalie gasped. "Papa?" she whispered tears already filling her eyes.

Tae Joon said nothing. His expression softened as he looked at her, but he couldn't seem to find the words. He didn't need to.

"No," Natalie sobbed. Ajay slipped her arm around the engineer's shoulders, and out of the corner of his eye, Tae Joon saw a look of absolute fury darken Caustic's face.

"My file?" the scientist asked.

Tae Joon hesitated. Part of Caustic's file had been heavily redacted, so there were a few things about him even Tae Joon didn't know. His real name, for example, but he didn't need to see a file on a screen to know that the gruff man before him was bad news. Perhaps he had mellowed slightly since entering the Games, but Tae Joon had a feeling that Caustic had come from a place rife with pain, pain he had most certainly caused himself. And then, Tae Joon thought with a mental shrug, there was something familiar about him, too, as though he had seen Caustic somewhere before.

Tae Joon clicked on the laptop and brought up Caustic's file.

Operation: Overcast

[...] seems to be settling in well. Neural degeneration of his inhibitive cortex still present. No doubt due to exposure to his own experiments. Caustic is to be given any and all requested resources. The commitee believes Nox gas will be vital when it comes to crowd control in non-combative situations. Useful in cases on civilian unrest.

Notes: Subject warned to make no reference to the events of [...] Attempts to eliminate his remaining family abandoned. Too suspicious. [...] far too prominent in her community. [...] if target presents themselves. 

Addendum: Last scan and psych eval show slowing in neurological degeneration. Suspect additional medical support outside of our control. LL perhaps? Suggestions that the gas is no longer as effective to be introduced, has proved useful in making Caustic increase the effectiveness in the past. 

Caustic read all of this in silence. When he was done, he got to his feet and left the room without a word. Tae Joon cleared the screen. While it was too late for he and Elliott to be uninformed, they had decided that the information should be made available only to the ones it concerned, who could share it if they chose. However, Tae Joon had wanted to ask Ajay if she had been helping Caustic with what had been presenting as mild headaches in the past few months. In the end he decided against it, thinking that perhaps somehow the less he knew about Caustic, the better.

Elliott and Pathfinder returned to the group, Pathfinder's smiling screen back in place.

"Are we... alright?" Tae Joon asked slowly.

Pathfinder clapped him painfully on the back. "I understand why you did what you did. Please do not do it again, friend!"

Tae Joon couldn't stop the smallest smirk crossing his face for just a second. "I won't. I am sorry, Pathfinder."

Pathfinder gave him a thumbs up. "Also friend... friend Elliott said that the Syndicate is planning to kill me!"

"What?" Renee said suddenly, rising to her feet. Natalie looked up at the MRVN through red rimmed eyes.

"They are going to kill Path too?" she asked, horrified. 

"No, they're not," Elliott said quickly. "Not on my watch."

Ajay, who had been listening to everything with an increasingly wretched look on her face, turned to Octavio. "Did they... The damage I told you about. That was them?"

Octavio nodded.

"You knew?" Tae Joon asked.

Octavio nodded. "About the heart thing, si. Ajay's been patching me up and looking me over since I first fell down. She found it out pretty quick. Didn't know why though. Not until you told me."

Ajay set her lips into a thin, firm line. "Alright," she said. "Show me mine."

Operation: Fallen Angel

Right. We've no interest in this one save the access to the Che family business. Various scenarios have been shot down due lack of probability of success. Maintain Lifeline's legend status until a satisfactory plan is in place. 

Notes: Latest suggestion is for a defamation campaign. Isolate her from any support except that of her parents, then reach out to her should she return.

"Those sons of bitches!" she growled, thumping her fist on the table. Octavio placed a hand on Ajay's shoulder. "So.... what's next? What do we do?" she demanded of Tae Joon.

"I need to get Mila home," Tae Joon said evenly. "Elliott has offered to help me, but you have to understand..."

"You can't go home again, amigo. Can't go back to the Games."

Ajay snorted. "Wouldn't get back in the ring for anyting," she said. She stood up and stalked over to the corner, Octavio trailing close behind. 

"I will help you, friend," Pathfinder said softly.

Tae Joon smiled at him.

"Makoa?" Elliott said softly. "Tae Joon and I, we, and don't take this the wrong way big fella, but we think you should just, like, sit this one out."

"Knew you were gonna say that, brotha," Makoa said heavily, shaking his head. "Seen that idea on everyone's face since you started talking."

"You understand why, right?" 

Makoa shifted, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, hands hanging loose in front of him. He kitted his chin towards the laptop. "It mention him?" he asked. "My file, it got my husband's name in it anywhere?"

"No, do you want to see-"

Makoa shook his head. "No. No, I don't need to know. Just as long as he's safe."

Elliott shifted slightly. "He might not be, after tonight. That's why you need to go. When the Games start up again, they're gonna notice when there's a few legends missing. They're gonna want answers. They're gonna want..."

"Revenge."

Tae Joon nodded. "Find him, go somewhere safe, hide. Survive."

Makoa looked resolute. "Never met him, have you?" he said, the ghost of a smile on his lips. 

Tae Joon shook his head. 

"I have," Elliott jumped in. "He's a good man. Which is why you need to warn him."

"I know he's a good man. That's why I married him. But that's not all he is."

Tae Joon and Elliott looked at him, confused. Makoa let out a sigh. "Neither of us are the type of people to sit back and let this sort of thing happen. Woulda thought you knew me well enough by now," he said to Elliott with a frown. "I'll talk to him, sort somthin' out. Rescuing people is kinda my job, Hy- Tae, I was always going to help you."

Tae Joon actually felt a little overwhelmed. "Thank you," he said quietly. "You cannot understand how much this means to me." 

"Me too," Renee said darkly. "I'm in."

"Me as well." Natalie this time. 

Bloodhound, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke. "What of myself?" they asked. "I would like to know."

Tae Joon clicked on his screen, but Bloodhound held up a hand to stop them. "I would prefer if you told me, please," they said in a measured voice.

"Alright," Tae Joon said, with a nervous glance at Elliott who just shrugged in return. "They want to get you to train people to track the way you do. Want to use you to find... useful people. People they can hold for ransom, people with useful skills they need, people they can blackmail. People like... People like me. Like I used to be."

"Innocents," Bloodhound said hollowly.

Tae Joon nodded.

"They wish to turn me into a hunter without honour. Why would they think I would agree to such a thing?"

"They have information on you, where you are from. They plan to drain the land of resources, destroy it down to ash. Unless, of course, you do what they want. Then your village will be spared."

Bloodhound said nothing while they contemplated this. "Very well. I will help you on your journey to find your sister," they said solemnly. 

Tae Joon found Elliott's hand slipping over his own. Elliott could tell that he was starting to feel a little overwhelmed. By pledging to help him, by trusting him, the others had unspokenly put him in charge. By extension, whatever happened to any of them from here on out felt like it was on his shoulders. He didn't want them getting hurt.

The night continued on, with Anita needing a moment alone after she had read her own file, before returning some time later with a growl in her voice that came with the promise that not only would she help Tae Joon, but that afterwards she planned to do everything in her power to 'take those lying, two-faced bastards down'. 

Caustic returned to the room some time later just as everyone was thinking it might be a good idea to get some rest, pledging to help after a stilted glance at Natalie. Ajay and Octavio were in the kitchen, Ajay cooking while her friend got in her way. Her hair was frazzled from the steam but she too wore the expression of outraged defiance that was becoming commonplace in the room. She doled out bowlfulls of hastily made stew to everyone, instructing them to eat up and turn in. After she had spoken, she cast a glance at Tae Joon, just to be sure she wasn't overstepping her boundaries. Tae Joon smiled at her. In all truth, he could use a lieutenant in all this and he was grateful it was her. They ate quickly and turned in, though it was certain that none of them would be getting much sleep that night. 

Octavio decided to sleep on the sofa in Ajay's room. They had to be careful not to be caught by the staff in the morning, who would surely tell the Syndicate who in turn would then cast too close an eye on the goings on at the resort. Makoa mentioned there was a room next to his that was empty, and Tae Joon and Elliott headed there together, both feeling entirely worn out.

"I didn't... I didn't think they would all want to help," Tae Joon muttered as he closed the door behind him.

Elliott smiled. "Never doubted 'em for a second," he said with a grin. "Hey. You did good tonight, kid."

Tae Joon rolled his eyes at Elliott.

"I'm serious. I mean it. Saying all the stuff you did, about you, about your sister. You don't really know these guys. It took guts is all I'm saying."

Elliott strode over to the bed and pulled back the covers. "Its done now anyway. Nothing to do but wait til tomorrow."

He sat on the edge of the bed, changing his jeans for the sweatpants he had grabbed from his backpack while Tae Joon got ready. His whole body was aching but his head was buzzing.

Elliott wrapped his arm around Tae Joon's waist as they settled into bed, his breath warm at the base of Tae Joon's neck. "It's gonna be ok, kid," Elliott assured him.

Tae Joon sighed. "Elliott," he began seriously. "There is something I must tell you. I have not been entirely honest with you."

He felt Elliott's head lift from the pillow, his arm loosen its grip a little. "What?" Elliot said, a small note of panic in his voice.

Tae Joon turned to face him. "I... I am older than you."

Elliott's face went from scared to relieved to angry in a second. "You jerk!" he said, playfully hitting Tae Joon with a pillow. Tae Joon let out a small laugh. "Really though?" Elliott pressed.

"Really," Tae Joon confirmed with a smile.

Elliott leant down and kissed him. "Well, you look good for your age... old man."

Tae Joon kissed him back, feeling the familiar urge build within him, coupled with the same guilt and stress that always burned at the edges of any happiness he felt. He was still so lost, so uncertain of what came next, unsure of where to start. But, he thought as Elliott began to move above him, at least this time he was far from alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this took forever and I am so sorry. But your kind comments, your kudos, it means so much so thank you thank you thank you! X


	8. Chapter 8

It seemed to Tae Joon as though he were living the same few moments over and over again each time he woke in the morning. A strange sense of warmth and safety at first, which was quickly replaced by guilt and deeply ingrained dread. He was at least still blessed to feel nothing but good things upon having Elliott be the first thing he saw each time he opened his eyes, but even that now was starting to become tinged with fear. After yesterday, Tae Joon finally had no more secrets to keep, no more reasons to hide who he was around the people who really mattered to him. He remembered thinking so little of the other legends, thinking them to be nothing more than money hungry glory hounds right down to the last one of them, and he felt rightly ashamed. The way they had rallied around himself and Elliott was extremely humbling. Of course, he wasn't trying to kid himself that it didn't have a lot to do with the things the Syndicate had done to them personally, but helping find Mila was not something they had to do.

He glanced at the window. The light coming through was the cold steel grey tinged with blue that came just before sunrise. Knowing the other man would protest, Tae Joon ran a hand up Elliott's arm before stopping at his shoulder and shaking him gently.

"We have to get up," he whispered softly. Elliott groaned and turned away from him, but Tae Joon just shook him again. They couldn't risk getting caught by the resort's staff, and smart money was on them starting their work day very early to make sure that every thing was ready for when their guests started waking up.

"Alright," Elliott grumbled, throwing his arm over his eyes dramatically. Tae Joon turned away from him and climbed out of bed, knowing that the second Elliott got his wits about him, he would put them to use immediately trying to get Tae Joon to stay in bed, and the hacker knew that his track record at resisting Elliott's charms so far was awful. 

He heard Elliott's soft whine as he pulled on his jeans, and leapt up to avoid his hands as he reached for his shirt.

"Behave yourself," Tae Joon warned him playfully. "We have to move."

Elliott sighed and rolled over, pushing himself up. "What happened to us, man? Used to be we couldn't keep our hands off each other," he said with mock sadness, shaking his head.

"Shut up and get dressed," Tae Joon replied.

"Fine," Elliott grumbled. He sat up in the bed, the covers crumpled at his waist and for a moment, Tae Joon remembered that Elliott's words weren't his only charm. He shook himself, huffed out a breath and began to hunt around on the floor for his shoes. 

"So what's next?" Elliott asked as he got to his feet, pulling his shirt over his head. 

Tae Joon looked at him. "I need to head back to the ship, set up my network. The others will have a lot of questions still. Maybe you should speak them."

"Not gonna have a lot of answers," Elliott replied evenly. 

"I know, but there's no way they've had a whole night to sleep on it and are still feeling as sure about helping as they did last night." Tae Joon grabbed his bag from the floor. "Go to Anita first. See how she feels about flying the ship. I'll meet you there later." He turned to the door.

"Hey, hang on a sec," Elliott said quickly, practically skipping across the room with one shoe on. 

"What?" Tae Joon asked.

Elliott kissed him lightly on the lips. "Nothin'," he said with a smirk.

Tae Joon frowned at him, gave him another kiss for good measure, and headed out.

Tae Joon crept through the resort. His luck seemed to hold out for a change, and he made it all the way back to the ship without running into anyone else. As it came into view over the horizon, Tae Joon was struck by just how obvious the damn actually thing was. It wasn't bright, but it was large, almost reaching the tops of the trees they had laughingly tried to conceal it behind.

The only thing really preventing it from being discovered was it's location, and Tae Joon was already hastily rethinking his plan to use the week the Legends had away to plan and strategise at the resort before they left to destinations that were, at this point, unknown. Still, it would be stupid to waste the only week the others had where they were expected to be hiding away from prying eyes. Everything would appear to be in order, and it wouldn't be until they didn't return to compete that things would start to get truly dangerous. They needed this week.

Tae Joon found a small nook and began to set up his computer. The network's signal wasn't great; the resort boasted a lot of things but isolation was its main draw. Guests were encouraged to remain off the grid while they were there, though not forced, and the many high profile celebrities who came to stay were only too happy to comply. The staff, however, needed to be able to communicate with head office and so the resort had a network mostly for business. It was an advantage in a way, as gaining access was easy. If it wasn't used to look after the guests, everything on the resort had clearly been chosen for how cheap it was. More difficult to navigate were the bio scanners, which made sure that the only people on the resort were the ones who were meant to be there. It was not a problem for Tae Joon, whose various augmentations had been designed for the very purpose of dodging those kind of things, but for Elliott and Octavio, he hoped that were they caught, they could shrug it off with their usual cheek and propensity for hijinks if they were discovered before Tae Joon could tweak the system.

The ship was cold, despite the warm sun outside, and once again Tae Joon found himself missing his ridiculous coat. He couldn't risk getting the power going more than he already had to get his screens set up, so he dragged a hoodie out of his backpack and shoved that over the one he was already wearing. 

The first thing he did once he was sure that his connection was secure was send a message to Mystik. He'd had to be extra careful with what he told her since he had found out the truth; he hadn't even told her that Mila was still alive. It seemed cruel to do so, but until she was home with him and one hundred percent safe, he wasn't going to let Mystik fear that she would have to go through the pain of losing her all over again, like he had. Still, he had a feeling that soon contacting her would be nearly impossible, and he didn't want her to worry if he had to go silent. He assured her he was ok, and, after a little hesitation, he explained about Mila. Once that was done, his stomach alerted him to the fact that he was yet to eat anything today, and he wandered down to the small galley in the main part of the ship.

As he heated up some water, he glanced around at his surroundings, his mind imagining what it would soon look like once they were all aboard. In his minds eye he could already see the area of the ship that would become shadowy with plant life and flickering candles once Bloodhound had settled in. He could almost hear the clang of metallic cans rolling along the grated floor, the whirs and beeps of his own gadgetry in a corner. The only thing he couldn't imagine was Elliott's space. There would be no more posters, no more fan letters, no more awards. Perhaps a few holo devices here and there, a pair of goggles hanging from a hook in the wall. It was actually quite sad to think about, and Tae Joon turned away from the hollow interior of the ship to stare down into the pan of bubbling water. For as much as Elliott hated the Games now, Tae Joon realised that he hadn't really taken the time to appreciate how much Elliott had really lost. While it could never compare to the terrible loss of his family, it didn't mean that some huge part of Elliott Witt hadn't been stripped away also. Tae Joon could hardly blame the man for giving in to the temptation to be loved. To be adored. Mirage allowed Elliott be the sort of man he'd never quite been able to be, and it was only when you got close to him that you saw the parts where the shine wasn't quite right. From a distance, like the one his fans occupied, it was hard to tell the difference. It spoke to something dark in Tae Joon, one of the few people who had seen past the trinkets and guilded edges, who felt that to Elliott it must seem worth it to pretend, because the people who loved Mirage weren't going anywhere, and he didn't know enough about them in return to be scared that they might. Phoney idolation from strangers was so much safer than the real thing, and Mirage was a costume, a mask, a safety net and a figure of worship, all rolled into one ridiculous, over the top package. Tae Joon would be lying if he said there weren't still some Mirage elements present in the real life Elliott Witt; what grated him the most was how little Elliott Witt there was in Mirage. His fans were missing out on someone who truly deserved to be adored.

He huffed out a short breath. "The clue was kinda in the name, Tae," he muttered to himself. 

But Mirage was gone now. It seemed Elliott couldn't even rely on his alter egos to hang around. Tae Joon didn't even wonder why it wasn't hitting Elliott harder; he'd lost things so much more important. Sooner or later, though, Elliott was going to wake up and realise that he was going to be just Elliott for the rest of his life, and knowing him as he did, Tae Joon knew that was going to hit harder than Elliott would ever let on. Tae Joon turned down the heat on the water, his jaw tight as a jolt of frustration shot through him. The damn fool was so stupid he couldn't realise just how good that was. Tae Joon had never met anyone like Elliott. They were surrounded on all sides by the harsh reality of the world they now lived in, and Elliott could still somehow make him feel safe. He wasn't stupid. This wasn't some movie where the fact that he and Elliott had found each other was going to be enough to keep the bad guys at bay; that hadn't really been what he meant. It was more that Tae Joon knew it was safe to fall in love with Elliott, which, he thought with a small shrug as he tipped his food onto a plate, was a good thing, seeing as he already had. 

-

The door to the ship opened without warning a few hours later, causing Tae Joon to almost fall out of his chair.

"You can't knock?" he gasped as Elliott stepped inside, closely followed by Anita and Bloodhound. 

"Would you have answered?" Elliott replied, smiling in the face of Tae Joon's exasperated frown.

"Fair enough," Tae Joon conceded with reluctance. 

The three made their way further into the ship, Elliott still smiling at Tae Joon while the other two glanced around.

"Witt, you have got to be kidding me," Anita said from behind the trickster. 

Elliott turned on the spot, his smile vanishing as he looked at her. "You can't fly it?" he asked, mild panic in his voice. 

Anita huffed at him. "Class 2 Secondary Personnel Carrier? Course I can fly it, but it might be kinder to take it behind the woodshed and shoot it."

Elliott's shoulders relaxed and he rolled his eyes at the soldier. "Come on, it's not that bad," he protested, the words trailing off slightly as he looked over the scarred and battered walls. 

"The ship does appear to have seen better days," Bloodhound intoned as they ran a gloved hand along the dented interior. "But certainly appearances can be deceptive."

"Exactly, thank you!" Elliott exclaimed with a pointed look at Anita. 

"Although with a few good hits I doubt even the Allfather could keep this thing together," Bloodhound concluded.

"That's great Bloth, really," Elliott muttered while Tae Joon let out a small laugh behind him. Elliott turned once more.

"You're gonna come for me too, honey bunch?" he asked, his voice slightly high pitched, the term of endearment spoken with pointed accusation.

Tae Joon pressed his lips together and tried to look innocent. 

Elliott was still glaring at Tae Joon with entirely zero malice when Anita cleared her throat. "Look, I'm not getting anywhere near the pilot seat 'til you and Natalie have been over every inch of this, deal?" Anita said, pointing at Elliott.

"I'm a holo-engineer, Sergeant," Elliott pointed out. 

As one, everyone else on the ship turned to look at him. "Alright, fine," Elliott muttered. While he and Natalie definitely had their specialties, there was enough residual knowledge in their heads to transfer over to a lot of things, from broken toasters to battered ships. Elliott sighed. "How is she, by the way? Anyone know?"

There was much shuffling of feet. "Heard Ajay mention to Tav she was up by the fire all night with the old guy. Don't think she slept at all." Anita's words carried a quiet fury that the others understood all too well.

Elliott shook his head and placed his hands on his hips. "Should be me, shouldn't it?" he said softly. "I mean, I kinda get it."

Tae Joon felt his insides burn. Elliott was right. Natalie needed someone who understood to talk to or even just sit in silence with her, and Elliott was the one who got what she was going through. But instead of seeking her out, Elliott had spent the night both awake and asleep with Tae Joon in bed. Tae Joon tried to tell himself that they were both in desperate need of a rest after the past, well, since it all began really, and that Caustic could stand to forgo a proper night of sleep for once, but it didn't really work. 

"I'll talk to her about it," Elliott promised.

"What about Octavio? Where is he?" Tae Joon asked suddenly. 

"It's alright. Ajay's been with him most of the day in her room. Actually, that's kinda why Bloth came with us," Elliott said.

Tae Joon turned to the hunter, confused.

"Ajay said she needed some medication from the ship, a compound she had mentioned to Octavio to help him... acclimate to being without his stim," Bloodhound explained. "She also wanted a complete list of what you have on board so she could, ah, tell you what you idiots forgot." It was hard to tell, but everyone got the impression that they were smiling beneath their scarf. "I would also like to see. Unlike the others, I am used to surviving without very much, and I may know the best way to put our limited resources to good use, if you will permit."

They were looking at Tae Joon, who was a little taken aback. 

"Looks like you're the boss, kid," Elliott said, his words tinged with pride. 

Once he had regained his composure, Tae Joon quickly shook his head. "No, no, I am just the messenger. There are others here whom it would make far more sense to give that role too. I don't think-"

Anita stepped forward, her shoulders squared and her expression serious.

"Look, being a leader don't mean you're the guy who shouts the loudest. You got the plan, you got us together, and you stood up when it would have been a lot safer for you to sit your ass down. Like it or not Park, you're in charge." Anita was looking at him somewhere between annoyance and admiration. "So suck it up, and tell us what to do... sir." She smiled at him.

Elliott raised an eyebrow suggestively at Tae Joon, who frowned in response. "Anita, that speech just goes to show that you-"

Anita raised a hand to stop him. "Just here to fly the ship and pull the trigger. Thing is, you're not like the rest of us. We're just fighting. You've got something left to fight for. That makes you the best person for the job." Anita walked over to Elliott. "Point me at the guns, man."

"Right this way, ma'am," Elliott replied, sweeping his arms towards the door that lead to the hold. He clapped Tae Joon on the shoulders as he passed, leaving him alone with Bloodhound.

Tae Joon jerked his head towards the nook that had been designated as the med bay. "Elliott and Octavio put everything away in here yesterday." He paused thoughtfully. "Octavio did not seem to be in any distress."

Bloodhound considered this. "Perhaps he had not used his stimulant then," they mused. "This may be more preventative than cure."

Tae Joon nodded, and hoped that Octavio wasn't suffering. He had said so himself that he rarely used his stim outside of the ring anymore, which made more sense now that Tae Joon knew he was already aware of the damage it was doing to him. Perhaps there was a shred of self preservation in the daredevil after all. 

"I hope you do not mind my saying," Bloodhound said gently. "But you seem reluctant in your role."

Tae Joon let out a mirthless laugh. "I am," he said heavily as Bloodhound began to look through the supply chests that had been filled the day before. "I have never really worked well with others, and the idea of all of you following my lead is... terrifying. I am not confident enough to hold your lives in my hands."

Once again, Bloodhound's calming, understanding demeanour had forced the truth from Tae Joon before he had even realised what was happening. Bloodhound looked up at him, their head tilted slightly as they considered this.

"You have fought along side us before. You know what we are capable of. We will fight just as hard now, and you, reluctant though you may be, will guide us. We are stronger together. Perhaps they way Anita speaks makes it sound as though we are an army. From what you say, however, we are not. We are a resistance, aiming to stop a war before it can even start. For that, we must be prepared. I think you are the best person to ensure we are." They spoke as though their words were just that, but they filled Tae Joon with a calm, strong resilience he had yet to feel. He smiled softly at Bloodhound.

"How is it you always seem to draw the truth from me without even trying?"

Bloodhound straightened up and regarded Tae Joon. "Perhaps I just have one of those faces," they said lightly.

There was a silence between the pair.

"That was a joke," Bloodhound clarified.

Tae Joon blinked at them for a moment, before his face split into a wide grin. "It was funny," he admitted.

Bloodhound squatted back down to check through the meds once more. "Also," they continued. "Perhaps it is not my place, but I think you and Elliott are very remarkable together. I am glad you two were able to find each other as you needed."

Tae Joon felt himself blush a little. "You do not think it... inappropriate, in a time such as this?" 

"Far from it. The circumstances surrounding you both are terrible. That you have a place to go, spiritually, where it cannot harm you as much, is wonderful. For me, I find my solace, my calm, in meditation. For you, it is Elliott. Do not feel guilt at this, Tae Joon. There is not enough happiness left in this world for us to feel shame for any we may find."

Tae Joon took a deep breath. "If perhaps everyone in the life were more like you, we would enjoy more peaceful times," he said sincerely.

Bloodhound turned back to their search. "Your words flatter me, friend."

"I speak only the truth."

Bloodhound straightened up, a vial clutched in their hand. "I believe I have found what I am looking for," they announced. It looked a lot like one of Octavio's regular stims, except the liquid inside was clear as opposed to the usual bright green. "I must depart. I shall see you at sunset?"

"Yes," Tae Joon replied. "And thank you."

Bloodhound quirked their shoulders. "The Gods will bless us both this day."

Bloodhound had already left by the time Anita and Elliott returned from the hold. Anita was holding a Wingman in her hands and frowning at it as she turned it to inspect the barrel. Elliott had found a clipboard somewhere, and was looking down at it, vaguely concentrating. Tae Joon went to him immediately, pushing the clipboard out of the way and kissing him deeply. 

"Must have done something right," Elliott said slightly breathlessly when they finally broke apart. 

Tae Joon just smiled stupidly at him.

"Or perhaps I owe Bloth a drink," he said with a chuckle.

"Aw, ain't you ladies cute?" Anita cut in, a hint of playful derision in her voice.

"Thanks," Elliott replied smugly, slipping his arm around Tae Joon's waist.

Anita's stern demeanour broke. "You're welcome," she muttered with a tiny smirk. "Anyway, armoury looks pretty good, but I'm going to need some smoke nades. Didn't bring any with me."

Elliott feigned a look of shock. "Really?" he pressed.

"Needed to make room for my bikini," Anita dead panned. 

Elliott laughed. "Syndicate provided them, I guess?" He paused. "The smoke grenades I mean, not the swimwear."

Anita's mouth was a thin line. "Yeah," she sighed. "But times were tough, back in the day. Think I can scrounge some up."

"My network is ready, if there is someone you need to send a message to," Tae Joon cut in. 

"Sounds good."

Elliott wandered off to start his promised inspection of the ship while Tae Joon set up some more secure communications on his network for Anita to use. He didn't press her on the details. They were all going to have to get used to keeping a lot of information under wraps now, and while he was certain that Anita had been privy to her fair share of classified information in the past, it would have been a while since she would have had to employ her more covert training. 

There was also the fact that Tae Joon had something she may be a little touchy about to discuss with her, and he was trying to find the confidence within himself to bring it up. 

While he waited for her to finish at the computer, he sat down on the circle of flight chairs in the centre of the room. In the middle the floor was raised like a makeshift table, and Tae Joon had placed his drone there where it sat, idle. He only had the one now. He had left the others at the complex. At first he wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but their hard drives had been wiped and their programming altered so they were little more than the floating cameras they used to be. He heard the sound of the hatch to the engines creaking open as Elliott continued to scurry around the ship, and was considering going to join him when there was a knock at the door.

"It's Natalie," came the timid call from the other side. Tae Joon got up to let her in.

She stepped inside and paused as she took in the ship, her face falling slightly. "Its, um, very... quaint," she managed.

Tae Joon smiled at her. "That it is," he agreed. She was carrying a heavy looking bag, which Tae Joon quickly took from her.

"Merci," she said sweetly. "Bloodhound said I was needed?"

Anita waved at her without looking up from the computer, while Tae Joon set her bag on the floor.

"Yes," he said. "We were hoping you could help Elliott inspect the ship, make sure there are no nasty surprises waiting for us."

"Of course." She opened her bag and from within its depths produced a small tool kit and a headlamp. Tae Joon hesistated.

"How... how are you, Natalie?" he asked gently. 

She thought about this for a moment. "As well as can be expected, I think." Anita had turned in her chair now, and was watching the other woman carefully. "I-" Natalie's voice caught, and Tae Joon held up his hands. 

"We do not need to speak about it, if you would prefer," he said.

Natalie just shook her head firmly, her expression set. "It is fine," she said, her voice trembling. "We are all... I mean, I am not the only one... you and... and Elliott also-"

"Natalie, you don't have to... any pain you feel is just as... as deep as ours - as awful. We are here for you." Tae Joon felt a little awkward, but Natalie offered him a tearful smile of gratitude. 

"I'm just... I feel so angry," she said softly. "When I think of how it felt, how much it hurt. I just don't understand how they could do such a thing, not only to me, but to us all, and get away with it, over and over again."

Anita got to her feet. "They aren't getting away with it Nat," she said firmly. She looked over at Tae Joon pointedly.

"No," he agreed. 

Natalie wiped her eyes with her hands and shook herself slightly. "It doesn't matter now. What matters is finding your sister, yes?"

Tae Joon felt his stomach clench at the reminder. "Yes," he said softly.

"Where are we on that, anyway?" Anita asked.

Tae Joon sighed. "I have nothing. I don't even know where to begin." 

There was a sudden, loud clang from above them, followed by the muffled sound of Elliott cursing. A small, wry smile appeared on Natalie's face.

"Perhaps you should go help the idiot before he hurts himself," Tae Joon said wearily.

"Mm, perhaps," Natalie agreed. "But it may be too late."

Tae Joon smiled at her. 

"Well, then make sure all his important parts remain attatched," he said. Anita chuckled, and Tae Joon immediately blushed. "I just meant... his... never mind."

"He's clearly a bad influence on you," Anita said warmly. 

Natalie left to help Elliott, her demeanour already greatly improved. Tae Joon had no doubt that spending time with Elliott would improve it further. 

"Ok, I think I managed to get in touch with some old contacts without giving the game away," Anita said, glancing back at the computers. "Maybe check for me?"

"Of course."

"I'm gonna head back up to the resort. I'm kinda famished, actually."

"Alright. Thank you."

Anita shrugged. "Thank me when we get Mila home," she said.

Once she was gone, Tae Joon looked over her communications. They all seemed pretty secure, so he began clicking around his old haunts, trying to find any information. It was a gruelling process, just as it had always been, yielding very little, and he was about to give in and go and see if he could help Elliott and Natalie when his inbox chimed with a new message. He clicked on it, expecting a reply from Mystik.

Park,

A mutual friend told me where you are. I want to help you. I have info on Mila. Midnight. I'll come to you.

E.

Tae Joon stared numbly at the screen for a moment. His suspicions were on high alert. He had only one friend outside of the the resort who knew where he was, and if this person was somehow acting on info from Mystik, she surely would have let him know first. He read the message once more, as if hoping that some secret code was hidden amongst the words, but he knew that was not the case. He glanced at his watch. It was getting late, but it would be a while before midnight. He sent a quick message to Mystik and waited with baited breath for her reply, wondering if he was just a few words on a screen from having to grab what he could and start running again. 

He heard the metallic groan of the door swinging open and he turned quickly in his chair, his eyes wide and his breath short.

"Hey man, relax, it's only us," Elliott said disarmingly as he and Natalie stepped inside. 

Tae Joon breathed out gently. He saw Elliott give him a curious look before turning to Natalie. 

"Hey, um Nat, you alright to run up to the resort and tell Anita that this old thing isn't gonna fall to pieces on its second run out for me?" 

Natalie looked between the pair of them knowingly. "Of course. Be good, you two."

She waved at Tae Joon before heading out of the ship, chuckling to herself. 

"She may have misread the situation," Elliott said, jerking his thumb back over his shoulder. "What's happened, Tae? You look terrified."

Tae Joon pushed his chair back, allowing Elliott a clearer view of the screen.

"Who's 'E'?" Elliot asked. Tae Joon shook his head gently.

"I don't know."

"Can we trust them?"

"I don't know," Tae Joon said again, snapping at Elliott this time.

"Hey, alright, ok," Elliott said, holding his hands out in front of him. "I get it. You've messaged Mystik though, right?" he pressed lightly.

Tae Joon sighed. "Yes." He laid a hand gently on Elliott's arm. "I'm sorry."

Elliott sniffed. "Make it up to me later," he said with a wink. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the reason you're wound so tight right now is because she hasn't gotten back to you yet."

"It's barely been five minutes. She was yet to respond to the message I sent when we first arrived here."

Elliott placed his hands on his hips and took a step back. "I need to eat. I need to wash. Funnily enough, crawling around the bowels of a run down personnel ship isn't the cleanest of activities." He wiped the back of his greasy hand across his brow, leaving a small, dark smudge. "I'll wait, though," he said genuinely. 

Tae Joon shook his head. "Go. I'll be happier if you're here at midnight, just in case."

"No question that I was gonna be here Tae. You think we should tell the others? No secrets, remember?" 

Tae Joon looked anguished. "I know. Perhaps we could wait, just until Mystik gets back to me. So I know better what to tell them."

Elliott looked a little conflicted, but he relented with a small nod and a sigh. "Guess that makes sense. Tell you what, I'll forgo the resort's showers, even though they've got the best water pressure and these little massage things that-" Elliott grinned. "Never mind. Point is, don't think my inspection is properly complete until I've tested the on board facilities. You hear something, come tell me, ok? That is if you think you can resist the sight of my naked, lathered form long enough to get the words out."

"Shut up," Tae Joon said quickly, although he appreciated what Elliott was trying to do. Even those around Tae Joon who weren't privy to the sort of intimacy that Elliott was soon learned of his tendency towards anxiety, but Elliott had soon realised how to tackle it with distraction. 

"Ooh, that's a no," Elliott said with a wink as he sauntered towards the rear of the ship where the facilities were.   
Tae Joon smiled at the door, and was considering following him, not for any x-rated purposes but simply to speak to him, to be near him and keep his mind quiet and calm, when his computer pinged. He spun so quick in his chair he almost fell off, opening the message with trembling fingers and reading it at once.

Dearest TJ,

When you spoke of the change in your ambitions, I knew I had to do all I could to help you. Our new friend is really very new, but they are also very helpful. Maybe let them in your house but don't let them feel at home. 

Be careful. Come home. Forever Family.

Mystik.

Tae Joon read it through again. Normally he would delete messages like this straight away, but he wanted Elliott to see it first. As he got to his feet, he heard a blood-curdling scream come from the other end of the ship. Chair still spinning in his wake, Tae Joon dashed towards Elliott's anguished shouts, his feet thudding hard against the grated metal floor as he went. He had yet to explore this deeply into the ship, and for a moment he was disoriented as he tried to seek out Elliott. He heard the slam and clatter of a door being opened by someone throwing themselves bodily against it, and as he turned the corner he collided with Elliott, wearing only a towel to preserve his modesty.

Both men fell to the floor with a bump. Tae Joon immediately scrambled over to Elliott, who was sitting with his back against the wall, his hair dripping.

"Are you alright?" he said urgently, checking Elliott over with his eyes and hands.

Elliott rubbed his shoulder where Tae Joon had slammed into him. "I'm fine. The heating coils in the water tank though, perhaps not so much."

Tae Joon relaxed and then leaned back. "What kind of idiot doesn't check the water before getting in?" he mused genuinely.

"I did!" Elliott protested. "The sudden, freezing torture didn't happen until I was under the water. Oh, don't look down, by the way, I'm not at my best."

Tae Joon frowned at him and got up, helping Elliott to his feet. "You can fix it?" 

"Yeah, probably." Elliott tightened the towel around his waist. His skin was pimpled from the cold, and Tae Joon found himself shrugging off one of his extra hoodies and wrapping it around Elliott's shoulders.

"Hey, thanks," Elliott said with a soft smile. "You ok? You hear something?"

Tae Joon pointed back towards the main area of the ship. "Wanted you to see for yourself, but it seems as though we need their help, even if we can't fully trust them."

Elliott blinked a few times. "Hey, I believe you. Think it's best I go throw on some clothes and try to fix the coils before we have to get the hell out of dodge. Mystik not mention who our mystery guest is though?"

"It may not have been safe for her to do so," Tae Joon replied. "I should go and delete the messages."

Elliott placed his hand on Tae Joon's wrist. "You sure? Should we let the others see them first?"

Tae Joon shook his head. "The messages were meant for me Elliott. We will tell the others what they contained, certainly, but I am not very comfortable with them seeing the messages from... from Mystik."

Elliott nodded. "Right. Sure." There was a ghost of a smile about Elliott's lips. "You don't mind if I see them though," he stated gently. 

Tae Joon rolled his eyes. "Go and put a shirt on," he said, but a smile was creeping over him, too.

Elliott feigned shock, placing a hand over his exposed chest. "I never thought I'd see the day," he teased.

Tae Joon pushed him playfully on the shoulder. "Go, fix the water. I'll finish up here and then maybe I should fetch everyone else, to let them know what's going on."

Tae Joon was still looking at Elliott with softness in his eyes, but Elliott clearly wasn't buying it. He took Tae Joon's hand in his. "Hey," he said. "It's gonna be ok."

"I hope so," Tae Joon replied.

He almost didn't want Elliott to go. He rarely did nowadays, but it was more than just his affection for the other man. He was frightened, and somehow Elliott had a way of making everything seem slightly less scary. Nevertheless, they had both been right when they had said that what they had could never come first. That wasn't to say that it didn't mean a lot, at least, Tae Joon thought, it did to him, but it was vital they not lose sight of what they were doing. That meant that Elliott had a responsibility to make sure the exceptional downgrade in living conditions they would all have to endure was at least basically functional, and for Tae Joon it meant doing whatever it took to get the job done and get them all back home.

He was careful as he made his way back up to the main building, his eyes wide for any stray members of staff. When he got there, the sun had dipped well below the horizon, the fires already lit and burning brightly, flickering softly in the breeze. 

Tae Joon made his way to the doors, noting the lack of laughter and music this time. A small spike of guilt surged through him as he pushed his way through the doors. The bar was completely devoid of anyone tonight; for a moment, he took the time to think how when he had seen Makoa there the night before, the friendly giant was probably standing in what was Elliott's usual place. He glanced over to the circle of chairs in the centre, and saw Renee sitting across from Anita and Makoa. He noted the dark circles beneath Renee's eyes, and the slightly stiff way in which Makoa was holding himself, and sighed. 

"Excuse me," he announced. Anita and Makoa jumped a little, but Renee seemed to already know he was there. 

"Something wrong?" Anita asked, getting to her feet. It seemed as though that was likely to be everyone's default reaction now every time they ran into each other, and it didn't help Tae Joon's anxiety one bit.

"I was hoping everyone would be able to get down to the ship. I think it is best of we all familiarise ourselves with the ship, but I also have some important news to share with everyone." He looked around the room. "Where are the others?" he asked. 

Makoa stepped forward. "Ajay's been with Octavio all day, and Bloodhound's been in there with them since they got back from the ship. Natalie's been trying to get some maintenance supplies together, I think Path is helping her. Not too sure about Caustic though." Makoa took a deep breath. "Look, Tae, everything's a bit tense right now, can this maybe wait?"

Renee stepped in before Tae Joon could answer. "No, tense is good. It's not going to get any better any time soon, so we all better get used to it." She folded her arms across her chest. 

Tae Joon nodded at her. "Besides, this can't wait. I- I am sorry, Makoa."

Makoa frowned. "Me too, brotha."

"I also have a... a way for you to contact your husband safely if you have not been able to do so yet," Tae Joon continued.

Makoa shrugged. "Spoke to him. Couldn't figure out a way to tell him over the phone without, you know, actually telling him. Not to be a paranoid bastard, but I think our phones might not be safe."

Tae Joon nodded, and then mentally reprimanded himself for not even giving them basic notes on how to be a little more careful. On the other hand, he thought, fighting with himself, that could arouse suspicions too, and perhaps they were better off acting as they usually did. 

"Keep using them as you usually would," he said evenly. "There are other ways to contact people if we need to. Also," he said, looking around, "perhaps it would be a good idea to make a mess in here, make it seem as if nothing is wrong."

"Roger," Anita said with a grin. "Give us an hour. I'll round everyone up and we'll head over to you after we fake a party."

Tae Joon thanked her and left quickly, not wanting to get caught hanging around by anyone that he shouldn't be. When he returned to the ship he couldn't see Elliott, but after calling out his name a echoed reply told him that Elliott was currently somewhere in the engine room.

Tae Joon sat down in front of his computer and linked it to his drone. He had decided to make a copy of the files they had found and hide them on the drone's hardrive. As he pulled up the relevant programs, he saw that the drone ready had one file on it, untitled. For the life of him he couldn't remember what it was and he clicked on it. The screen was filled with diagrams of various devices and he narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to one side, trying to make sense of them.

"Hey, where'd you get those?" came a voice behind him. Tae Joon turned to see Elliott looking very much like Mr. October, with a pair of overalls tied at his waist exposing a filthy, no longer white vest, and there was a greasy smudge across the bridge of his nose. There was even a wrench tucked in behind the knot at his stomach.

Tae Joon blinked a few times. "It's, uh... it's just-"

"Schematics for my holo gear," Elliott finished for him. 

Tae Joon took a small step towards Elliott. "Are you angry?" he asked hesitantly.

"Should I be? I mean, why do you even have them? Have you been..." Elliott sighed, looking a little hurt. "Oh man, have you been spying on me?" 

"What?" Tae Joon said, confused. "Oh... no! No I swear. I was just testing some new software on my drone, and your laptop was the closest, Elliott, it's the truth. I don't even... I don't even understand this, and it was the only thing I got."

Elliott's shoulders relaxed and he stepped a little closer. "Ok, ok, calm down." He pointed at the computer. "Its not your finest move, but it's alright. That's all you got, though?"

Tae Joon risked raising an eyebrow. "Something on there I really shouldn't see?" 

Elliott smirked. "I was young and I needed the money," he joked. "No, I mean, don't feel too proud, I'm not exactly at the forefront of cyber security or anything like that, but the schr- shee- schematics are behind some pretty impressive walls. It's a little infuriating that you got them with your little drone, of all things. And really, really clever."

Tae Joon felt himself growing hot from the combination of Elliott's praise and the way he was currently looking as though he had walked out of the pages of a smutty magazine. He cleared his throat. 

"I'll delete it," he said quickly, finally managing to tear his eyes from Elliott and turn around.

Elliott walked up close behind him, bringing with him the smell of oil, sweat and just the faintest hint of citrus underneath it all. "Don't bother," he said, pressing himself against Tae Joon as he leaned over him to look at the screen. "Couldn't hurt to have another set of these knocking around somewhere." 

Tae Joon was trying with all of his might not to let Elliott's presence get to him. It wasn't easy though, and Elliott seemed to be blissfully unaware of the effect he was having on the hacker.

"If you're sure," Tae Joon said, trying to shift a little bit forward so he and Elliott weren't so close to one another.

"I mean, they're safe, right?" Elliott continued, straightening up now, to both Tae Joon's relief and disappointment. It was all well and good telling himself that he needed to keep his head in the game and concentrate on what really mattered, but he was only human at the end of the day.

"Yes, they are safe." He kept himself turned away from Elliott, making out as though he were still checking through the screens on his computer. 

"You know," Elliott continued thoughtfully. "I would have thought the Syndicate knew all the secrets of our gear anyway. I mean, they know how Pathfinder works, right?"

Tae Joon shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe they know some things and not others," he said. He felt Elliott's hand slide slowly up his spine, and he shivered slightly. He could practically hear the slow smile creeping over Elliott's face in response.

"So... you speak to the others?" Elliott asked with mock innocence. 

Tae Joon rolled his eyes and turned around. "Yes. I reckon they will be here in about half an hour."

Elliott raised his eyebrow suggestively. 

"This was all on purpose, wasn't it?" Tae Joon asked with a gentle shove on Elliott's shoulder.

"What?"

"You! Coming in here, looking like that."

Elliott actually looked a little confused. "Looking like what?" He glanced down at himself. "Oh... like what you see, hm? Had no idea you liked a bit of rough."

Tae Joon felt himself burning up. He was certain he must have been glowing like a beacon, but Elliott seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. He pushed himself right up against Tae Joon, causing the other man to arch his back against the edge of his desk.

"You know," Elliott pureed, his lips against the shell of Tae Joon's ear. "Man like me, always working with his hands, I always end up a little... messy by the end of the day..."

Tae Joon squirmed beneath him, unable to do much else but let that low voice in his ear control him completely.

"Fixed the water though," Elliott carried on, pressing a slow kiss to Tae Joon's temple. "Need to be sure though. Maybe we should-"

"Shut up," Tae Joon growled suddenly, grabbing Elliott by the front of his vest and turning them both before slamming Elliott against the desk. He pushed his leg between Elliott's own and dragged their faces together. "You talk too much," he murmured.

Elliott grinned. "Then shut me up yourself, Park."

-

It turned out that Elliott had done a good job on the heating coils. He was still in the shower when the first of the others began to arrive, while Tae Joon was once again in front of his computer, checking for any news or responses. It was Renee who arrived first, and she greeted him by telling him that his hoodie was inside out. 

"Natalie and Caustic were right behind me," she said wryly as Tae Joon sorted himself out.

"Alright," Tae Joon said shortly, starting to blush again. 

In time, everyone had arrived, with Anita making sure the door was shut firmly behind her after she had entered. Elliott was out of the shower by this point, explaining to Makoa with damp curls about the problem with the heating coils. Everyone else had made a small tour of the ship and was looking slightly put out by what they saw. Nonetheless, bunks had been chosen and belongings put away, and now they were all settling down to hear whatever it was Tae Joon had to say.

Tae Joon glanced at his watch. It was an hour until midnight. 

He began by showing them all the message he had received from the mysterious 'E'. He also mentioned that a reliable source had said they could be useful if not trusted, but he elaborated no further than that. 

"I think... I think we should all be here when whoever it is arrives," he concluded. "I don't know what it is they're going to tell us, but we can't have any secrets." He noticed that Caustic shifted a little at these words, but he let it pass for now. 

"Gotta be someone who knows you though, right?" Octavio asked. He seemed slightly more on edge than usual, and though he was sitting properly for once, his metallic legs were bouncing the fists he had curled on his knees. 

"I imagine so," Tae Joon said thoughtfully. "But there really aren't many people outside of those in this room who know my real name."

"But you said you were fairly sure the Syndicate knew who you were," Anita pointed out. "What if it's a trap?"

Tae Joon nodded. "That's a risk we might have to take. But I'm hoping, with all of you here, I at least won't be outnumbered."

"We should arm up then," Anita said quickly, her shoulders stiffening. Tae Joon tensed and looked over at Elliott, who nodded resignedly.

"Very well. Not all of us, though. You, and perhaps Renee and Bloodhound. If it is not a trick of some sort I do not think our new informant will take to kindly to being met by a small army."

"You got it. Come on, on me," Anita said, motioning to Renee and Bloodhound and leading them down to the weapons room.

"There is still sumthin' I don' understand," Ajay said. "If they know who ya are, how are ya still kickin'?"

Tae Joon shook his head. "I don't know. Arrogance, maybe. Even when I have managed to infiltrate their Games, they perhaps think of me as nothing more than an experiment, and they just want to watch to see what I do. I can only assume that if they start not to like it, they will use Mila as leverage to get me to behave."

"That don't sound too promisin' Tae," Ajay said warily. 

"That's why the first thing we need to do is get her back," Tae Joon pressed urgently. "We can't let them have anything to hold over us."

"Lot of us still got families," Ajay continued. 

Tae Joon nodded solemnly. "I know. But your parents, and Octavio's, I think they may be too high profile for the Syndicate to take out. Not to mention that they seem very keen to do business with them as well."

Ajay sighed. "Alright," she said. 

Anita, Renee and Bloodhound returned from the weapons room. Tae Joon was relieved to see that they had gone for some lower profile guns, a Wingman and a couple of RE-45s, instead of hulking big rifles. 

Anita positioned them around the room, putting herself nearest the door while Renee and Bloodhound flanked the circle of seats. A stilted silence filled the air, but eventually there came a rhythmic hammering on the door.

Her pistol held tightly at her side, Anita opened the door a crack. "You?" she said, her tone incredulous. She pulled the door wide.

"Me," Eve replied.


	9. Chapter 9

It was Eve, there was no mistaking the fact, but she didn't look at all like any of them remembered. Gone was the pressed suit and expensive looking haircut. Her usually red nails were broken short and dirty, and she wore layers of rags beneath an oversized green jacket. Her hair had been cut close to her head, uneven and choppy, and her face was smeared with grime and what looked worryingly like blood. Once they had all gotten over the shock of seeing her, the room was immediately divided into those who remembered they didn't like her very much and those who were concerned about her condition.

"What the hell happened to you?" Anita asked eventually. 

Eve swallowed thickly and dropped the rucksack from her back. She moved stiffly towards the centre of the room.

"You got any water?" she rasped.

Tae Joon studied her suspiciously while Makoa went to get her something to drink. Her wounds were clearly genuine, but they were also not that recent.

"We're you followed?" he asked shortly.

Eve shook her head as she took the glass from Makoa. "No, no I don't think so," she gasped after taking a long gulp. 

"That's not good enough," Tae Joon replied, getting to his feet and heading to the door. 

Eve shook her head as he passed her. "I wasn't, I'm sure. I haven't seen anyone from the Syndicate in days. Our mutual friend got me here."

Tae Joon hesitated, his fingers resting lightly on the handle. "Why are you here? And what did happen to you?" His tone was laced with a quiet anger. Eve may have turned out to not be quite as soulless as she could have been, but she was still part of the Syndicate, had still taken their money and turned a blind eye to the awful things they were doing. It was likely too that she had done a few awful things herself, and Tae Joon had absolutely no reason to trust her. 

Makoa offered her his own seat, but even the usually friendly man had a suspicious glint in his eyes. Tae Joon motioned Anita over.

"I know you want to hear what she has to say but..."

Anita nodded. "Need someone out there to make sure no one crashes the party. No problem."

"Should someone go with you?" Tae Joon asked with a small frown.

Anita smirked at him. "Well, where's your little buddy?"

"Elliott?"

Anita balked and had to bite her lip to stop herself from bursting out with laughter. "Was talking about your drone, man," she said, shaking her head.

Tae Joon flushed. "Doesn't matter," he said with deadpan authority. "I'll go out there myself, and if anyone comes they can just shoot me in the head," he lamented.

Anita chuckled again, while Tae Joon signalled his drone over. He passed the controls to Anita, who turned them over in one hand with a disbelieving look on her face.

"And just what am I supposed to do with this?" she asked.

"It's the controls for the drone," Tae Joon pointed out dumbly. 

"I know that," she said. "But I don't know how to fly the damn thing."

She handed the controls back. "Just set it to hover towards the South, and I can watch the resort."

Once Anita was stationed outside, Tae Joon returned to the others, who were waiting patiently for his return before they started interrogating Eve.

"I didn't think everyone would be here," she said in a small voice. She was only addressing Tae Joon, and the others all shifted their stances as she spoke.

"We didn't think your boss was using us to build an evil army, so we're all a little surprised in here," Octavio snapped. He clearly was far from forgiving the public relations officer in light of what she had been part of.

She looked over at him, almost as if she was surprised to hear him speak with such emotion. In that moment, Tae Joon realised that she had clearly spent so long inside the machine that she too had begun to think of them as nothing more than objects, actors programmed to behave a certain way who ceased to exist when there wasn't a camera pointed at them. He found himself rediscovering his own dislike of her; one small flash of humanity in the face of a lifetime of bad actions excused no one.

"They... they what?"

Everyone else in the room looked from Eve to Tae Joon and then back again. Tae Joon had to quickly rethink his stance. Perhaps Eve's surprise was more down to the fact that she had no idea what was really going on than the fact that a man she had had quite a large hand in tormenting turned out to be human after all.

Tae Joon shook his head at the others. "Why are you here, Eve? What do you know about Mila?"

Eve looked around at the others for a moment, before grabbing her bag and unzipping it. After rooting around inside it for a while, she pulled out a small flash drive. "This is the latest report on Mila Alexander." She stretched over to him, a flicker of pain crossing her face as she did so.

Ajay immediately stood up, snatched the drive from her hand and tossed it to Tae Joon. "Alright, that's enough. She's hurtin', and I ain't letting ya ask her any more questions til I've had a look at her."

Tae Joon suddenly felt very foolish at gathering everyone here for her arrival. With hindsight, it was clear now that he should have met her with perhaps only Elliott and maybe Anita for security so he could have been certain it was at least worth everyone's time. Tae Joon knew he was trying so hard to make sure that everyone knew they could trust him, that he was keeping no more secrets, that it was making him act stupidly. He didn't need to hand hold the others through every little thing, and they wouldn't feel betrayed if he didn't invite them all along to every clandestine meeting he had. It simply wasn't necessary, and was a hit to Tae Joon's confidence in his leadership that he really couldn't afford to take.

"Alright," he muttered eventually. "You all head back up. Elliott and I will stay here with Eve and Ajay. I- I'm sorry for getting you all down here." His hand was curled tightly around the flash drive Eve had brought him. He was desperate to see what was on it, a fact that must have been clear by the way that everyone agreed to make their exits rather quickly. 

Once most of them had returned to the resort, Ajay forced Eve to lay down on one of the two small gurneys in the med bay, while Tae Joon hurried over to his computer to read the drive. Elliott hovered between the two, coming to a stop with his arms folded, his shoulder leaning against one of the metal archways.

"You know what's on this?" Elliot asked Eve, jerking his head towards Tae Joon.

"No," Eve said as Ajay began cleaning a nasty looking graze beneath her ear. "I took that from an office on Solace three days ago. Been trying to get here ever since."

Elliott sighed. " Why? Why are you helping us?" He straightened up suddenly. "What have they got over you?" he asked suspiciously. 

Tae Joon turned in his chair as the conversation finally caught up with his brain.

"Your son," he said. "Is he alright?"

Eve paused. "He's fine. He's... somewhere safe. As soon as I- well, once they told me my services were no longer required, I knew I had to make sure he was alright. It would only be a matter of time until they got to him. I mean, I knew what they were like, but I didn't ever think they'd stoop that low."

Elliott shot her a look of pure venom. "Yes you did," he said in a low voice. 

"Elliott," Ajay said in a warning voice. Elliott tossed his head and stalked off to the bunks. Ajay shot a curious look at Tae Joon, just as Eve let out a small groan. Clearly slowing down was causing her to finally feel the lumps she had somehow gotten recently.

"Hush now," Ajay said softly, continuing her minstrations. Tae Joon looked at the screen. It would be a few minutes before the file Eve had brought him would have run through the decryption key, so he got up and turned to Ajay.

"I'm going to go check on him," he said.

Ajay nodded, and Tae Joon made his way down to the bunks. Elliott was perched on the edge of one of the beds, on hand curled around the other, staring into the grated floor.

"Elliott?" 

Elliott looked up at him. There was an angry aura around Elliott, and every muscle he had was tensed. Between his eyes a deep crease had formed, and he was shifting about ever so slightly on the bed, breathing out heavily. 

"I can't do it. I'm sorry. I can't." He was looking at Tae Joon with a mixture of fury and remorse in his brimming eyes. 

Tae Joon risked sitting down next to him, though he kept his hands to himself. 

"Can't do what?" he asked.

"I just can't.... Can't be around her. I can't listen to her speak, can't see that stupid expression on her face like we're all supposed to feel sorry for her, but she knew, Tae, she knew and she didn't tell me."

It took a moment for Tae Joon to realise what Elliott was talking about, but as soon as he did he began to share Elliott's tight anger. She would have known about the Syndicate's plans for Evelyn Witt. She would have passed him in the halls and smiled at him, and spoken to him and called him by his stage name, knowing they were planning to kill the only person he had left in the world. He didn't think she had agreed to it; hell, now he thought about it, it was probably the reason she was no longer with the Syndicate, but even if she was concerned for her child she still could have done something. Just a message, a word. The tiniest thing could have made all the difference in the world, and she hadn't even tried. 

"Ok," Tae Joon said quietly. He didn't know what else to say.

"No it's not," Elliott replied harshly. "She's the reason we might actually be able to bring your sister home, and I can't get past how much I hate her. I don't want to do anything to get in the way, Tae. But when I look at her..." Elliott trailed off, finally managing to look up from the ground. 

"I understand Elliott, I do. She won't be staying. Once she tells us everything she knows, I'll make sure she's gone. It's not only you she makes uncomfortable."

Elliott shook his head. "You and I both know you're not going to do that," he said, but a small, wry smile quirked the corners of his mouth. "I mean, you saw the state of her. Can't imagine any information she has is going to be free. She's going to want somewhere safe to stay."

Tae Joon shook his head. "Don't know if that place is with us. And besides, she already gave me the file."

"She's not stupid," Elliott said with a sigh. "Not getting to where she did. Everything she says is secrets and double speak. She'll have an angle Tae, so be careful. She might even be here on their orders."

"The thought had occurred to me, too," Tae Joon mused. "But... I don't know what else to do. "

"Hey, I know," Elliott said, softening almost completely. "Get back out there. Not sure how much I like Ajay alone out there with her."

"I don't think Ajay is the one we should be worried about," Tae Joon replied with a wry smile.

Elliott huffed out a laugh. "Fair point. But, still... give me a little while, I'll be out soon. Unless you need me sooner. Then, I dunno, shout or something."

Tae Joon placed a hand on top of Elliott's own. "You're sure?"

Elliott nodded. "Bigger than me," he said with a shrug. Tae Joon lifted his hand and brushed Elliott's curls from his face. 

"I-." Tae Joon faltered. "I won't be long." He got up and returned to Ajay and Eve. 

Ajay looked up as he stepped into the room. "He ok?" she asked gently.

"He's fine," Tae Joon lied, not really wanting to discuss it in front of Eve. The woman in question made a noise of derision.

"It's me," she said plainly. "He's not likely to be my biggest fan."

Tae Joon felt a spike of anger. "Actually, he hates you," he said evenly. "As he should."

Eve's lips parted slightly and she drew in a short breath.

"Save the spin, honey," Ajay said, applying a dressing to the wound on Eve's neck. "Ya need ya strength." Ajay pushed herself up and snapped off the gloves she was wearing. "Sleep. You look like ya need it." She grabbed a thick, woolen blanket from one of the supply chests and threw it over Eve. Then she motioned to Tae Joon to follow her into the hold. Tae Joon cast a look at his computer, switched off the screen and went with her. Eve's eyes followed him the whole way, but she said nothing.

Ajay shut the door firmly behind them before leaning her back against it and folding her arms. "I don't like this," she said with a frown. 

Tae Joon pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Neither do I, Ajay. I don't know if this is a trap or real. I don't trust her, but until I've seen what is on that drive she gave me, there's not much else I can do."

Ajay shoulders relaxed but the dark look on her face remained. "And what about Ell?" she asked gently.

Tae Joon's let out a weary sigh. "She must have known what they planned to do to his mother, Ajay. He is very angry."

"He ought to be," Ajay said heavily. "We all are. That woman's just a face to put on our misery after all."

"If I'd have know it was her," Tae Joon said, a hint of a plea in his voice.

"Don' worry, we get it," Ajay assured him quickly. "Just... see what's on the file. Then we'll talk to our visitor, find out what she knows."

Tae Joon nodded. "Be careful what you tell her, Ajay," he warned. 

Ajay snorted. "Not gonna tell her anythin'," she muttered. "Gonna be a good doctor an' listen."

Eve was exactly where they had left her when they returned, her eyes searching the battered ceiling as they walked in. Tae Joon went straight to his computer while Ajay attended her patient's side, flicking the screen back to life.

The file was there, transcribed, and Tae Joon had to keep going back over some sentences again and again, skipping vital information in his haste to read it.

\--

Subject: Alexander, Mila.

The asset continues to cooperate. Progress on the recently obtained Militia files is steady, but yet to yield any useful information. The asset remains compliant at this stage. 

Vitals: Normal.

Upload of File Seven to Thermal Station completed.

Notes: That ought to keep the bastard busy.

\--

Tae Joon sighed at the screen. The only part that had brought him any relief was the statement in regards to her vitals. It didn't tell him where she was or what they were doing to her, only that she was 'cooperating', whatever the hell that meant. 

"It does not say where they are holding her," he muttered, turning back to Eve.

"I... I don't know," Eve said. Her demeanour had changed ever so slightly, and now she had an air of quiet fear about her. Tae Joon was almost pleased to note it; if she had thought for some reason that he and the others were going to welcome her with forgiving smiles and open arms, he was glad to see that she had realised how wrong she had been.

"So tell us what you do know."

Tae Joon looked over to the door. Elliott was stood there, his hands on his hips in almost a sick parody of his oh so familiar pose, his eyes narrowed at Eve.

"I know... I know she's safe. Safer than any of us, anyway." There was a hint of self-pity in her words, but Tae Joon couldn't find it within himself to care.

"What do you mean? She is surely nothing more than a bargaining chip to them, to keep me in line?" Tae Joon saw Elliott moving closer to him, and he was grateful for it.

Eve actually snorted out a laugh and pushed herself up on the gurney with a pained expression.

"Typical," she muttered to herself. "Don't you get it? It was never about you." The pity was gone now, and Tae Joon recognised the old tone of smug certainty in her voice.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Eve ran a bruised hand through her choppy hair. "She's not the bargaining chip," she said pointedly. "You are."

"Me? What are you...?"

Eve made a show of sighing with exasperation. "Alright, maybe at first that was the plan, yeah. You'd gotten away from them when they wanted nothing more than to kill the pair of you. They would have killed her, definitely, but then you started to crop up on their radar, getting in behind their security and pissing them off. They wanted something to hold over you then,sure. But then you went and hacked your way into the Games and suddenly, they had you right where they wanted you. Not to mention, they also realised they had one of the best hackers the Outlands had ever seen at their disposal. One with something to lose if they didn't do as they were told."

"Hold on," Elliott interrupted. "As far as the Syndicate's concerned, Tae's still working against them. They've never asked him to do anything for them, anyway. Have they?"

Tae Joon knew that Elliott was looking at him for some clarification, but the realisation of what Eve was talking about had crashed into him like a wounding blow.

His eyes searched wildly as his whole body seemed to collapse in on itself. "She was always so much better than me," he whispered, his voice small and cold.

"Exactly. And as long as she keeps doing what they tell her to, her big brother gets to keep breathing, running around inside their Games and hacking fake files all on their cameras, making them money, of all things, blissfully unaware that he was never a legend, just a hostage."

"You're talking out your ass," Elliott said, immediately defensive of Tae Joon. "The files we got from Path weren't fake."

Eve looked confused. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about. All I know is that they've been planting false info in the arena on purpose for you to find. Anything else you have is probably genuine, and I don't think they know you have it, whatever it is."

Tae Joon's eyes were wide as he stared out at nothing. All this time, everything he had done, and they had been wanting it, laughing at him the whole time. 

"Hold up, what about the tower back at the Canyon?" Ajay asked. "You sayin' they let him take that down?"

Eve shook her head. "No, that was a surprise. It wasn't until you stuck yourself in the Games that they finally caught up with you."

Even though she was speaking to him, Tae Joon was still miles away in his head. He felt ridiculous, stupid and angry and humiliated. He felt Elliott's hand come to rest on his shoulder and he shrugged it off in frustration. Elliott said nothing, but it only added to the growing self-loathing inside himself. He couldn't bare to look at the others as he stormed out of the room and towards the bunks. 

He threw himself on his bed, aiming an angry punch at the one above him, his knuckles splitting as they collided with the hard steel. Cursing, he slammed the bloodied fist into his pillow over and over, tortured sobs escaping with each impact. He had never felt so useless in his entire life, so completely stupid. And what was more, he thought angrily, he was going to have to go back. He thought he had played his last match but now he knew he had to keep playing their Games and pretending to keep Mila alive, and it wasn't only him. It was all of them. All of the guilt that had plagued him at first, soon replaced with a shared relief that they could finally stow their characters away, it meant nothing. Crypto wasn't dead, he was still there, lurking like a grim monster in the shadows, a humiliating reminder of his failures. The Syndicate had executed the perfect trap; both of their hostages working solely for the benefit of their captors, with no way to free themselves from this binary prison.

He was going to have to go out there and tell them. He was going to have to tell them that they had to keep going, keep pretending, and he had to pray that they would. For some of them, like Octavio and Pathfinder, they would be risking their lives. He almost turned his fists on himself. There was no way he could justify asking Octavio to get back into that ring again, to keep poisoning himself to the point of death. Every little thing Tae Joon found out just made his life harder and made him that much more certain that it would never get any better. In a moment, that knowledge overwhelmed him, and he gathered himself up on his bunk, his knees held tightly at his chest as his breathing became short and painful.

Elliott didn't even knock as he came in, but he didn't move too close to Tae Joon either.

There was a moment of silence before he spoke.

"Let me tell the others," he said in a low voice.

Tae Joon looked at him. He was almost furious with Elliott, too, for not shouting at him and telling him how stupid he had been. For not turning around and leaving him on the spot, for not realising what a mistake he was making in letting someone as useless as Tae Joon into his life. Most of all, he thought, bitterly and miserably and hatefully, he was angry at him for not having to feel the way Tae Joon felt, for being, well, better than him. And that petty jealousy, towards Elliott, a man there was no denying he was in love with now, was the worst thing of all. It was a remnant of the way he used to feel, a long time ago when his only knowledge of Elliott Witt was what he saw through a television screen, when hating him didn't matter because Elliott didn't even know his name. But it lingered on within him, unbidden from some dark corner of his mind and while he knew now he could never, would never hate Elliott, there was still a rotten part of him that used to, and he hadn't realised until now that he was still trying to come to terms with that. 

He'd told himself that it was Mirage who had been the object of his displeasure, but now, as a cornered, humiliated man, he realised how jealous of Elliott he was, too. It hardly made any sense, but Tae Joon was now the kind of broken it took for rational thought to go away. He remembered having those kinds of thoughts when he had first met him properly, but they had gone away so fast and been replaced with something so much better. 

He turned his eyes from Elliott, ashamed.

"They'll... They will understand," Elliott continued. The awkwardness was radiating off of him in waves. "Look... do you want me to go?"

Tae Joon suddenly really, really didnt. He felt small and weak and stupid, and he wanted Elliott's big, strong arms around him, protecting him from the world it turned out he was incapable of handling. He wanted to be told that this wasn't his problem anymore, that Elliott would take care of everything for him, and it was all going to be fine.

He shook his head no, and brought a bloodied knuckle to his cheek to wipe away a tear of frustration. 

"What the hell did you do?" Elliott asked suddenly, all sense of the soft approach abandoned as he crossed the room and sat beside Tae Joon. He tried to take his hand to check it, but Tae Joon snatched it away, trying to hide it in the sleeve of his hoodie. 

"Tae, please," Elliott implored, "I know this isn't the best news you've had all day but don't do this, don't."

Tae Joon looked up at Elliott, whose face was a picture of concern and misery, and shattered into pieces. He practically threw himself at Elliott, curling up against his chest while his whole body heaved with sobs.

"Elliott, I- I can't help her," he moaned, as Elliott grabbed him and held him as tightly as he could. "I can't help any of you. You all might die and it's all my fault." He felt as though he were dying himself. "I am so stupid, Elliott."

Elliott didn't even try to say anything. Tae Joon wouldn't have been able to hear it anyway. He was lost in his own self-loathing, drowning in it, with only Elliott to hold on to to keep him from slipping all the way down.

-

He woke up some time later with Elliott's arms still tightly clamped around him. He was too hot, still dressed in his hoodie, and his head hurt and his knuckles stung. Elliott was sleeping beside him, having manoeuvered them both so they were lying down at some point, his curls a mess as he faced him. The usual calm, peaceful feeling that Tae Joon had come to associate with waking up with Elliott was absent this time, and he couldn't stand to remain there.

He took no care not to wake him as he pulled himself out of Elliott's grip. Elliott protested and turned over, but he still seemed to be sleeping. It was another reason for Tae Joon to feel guilty; his outburst had clearly kept Elliott awake long after he had worn himself out. As he stood up, he saw a smear of blood on the front of Elliott's shirt where he had obviously tried to clean Tae Joon up a little. He straightened his hoodie as he walked to the door and turned to look back at Elliott. Even their relationship felt broken to him now, as though he had somehow tricked Elliott into falling for a man he had never even been. Elliott could never love him, the real him, because they both thought he was someone else, and Tae Joon was suddenly terrified that Elliott might grow to hate the man he had turned out to be. Instead of a comforting sight, Elliott had turned into something else for him to fear, and he all but ran back to the main area of the ship, feeling scared and trapped and aching. 

Ajay and Eve were still sleeping, the steady beep of the monitors Ajay had hooked up to the other woman the only sound in the air. He was quieter not to wake them as he slipped in front of his computer, not even beginning to know where to start after what Eve had told him. He had been quick to believe her, he knew, but so much had fallen in to place it was hard to think she wasn't telling the truth. With reluctance, he began to type, his chest hurting and a lump forming in his throat with every word. He held nothing back, and his anger and humiliation spilled out onto the screen he felt himself feeling worse and worse. He was dreading the moment when the others on the ship would wake and he would have to face them. He wished he could just leave, but he was stuck at the resort, and he would have no choice but to expose himself for the imposter he was. He sent the message off to Mystik, complete with a wish that she find someone who could actually help bring Mila home. 

When he was done, he grabbed his drone and headed down to the hold of the ship, playing with the control cube in his hands, staring at the walls and hoping no one would come to find him. He knew that Elliott would, ever since that day when he had answered his door at the complex to his frantic face, he knew that Elliott would always try to find him. He threw his drone at the wall in frustration and regretted it immediately. The little robot didn't break, but the resounding clang would have been more than enough to wake the rest of the ship's occupants. 

Within ten minutes, Elliott had found him, trying to hide in the shadows of the hold, and he found he didn't have within him the energy to even speak to Elliott. He had brought a bottle of water and some cookies, which he set on the floor next to Tae Joon. Elliott tried to coax anything out of him, offering him kind words of reassurance and then resorting to tough love speeches when they didn't work. All Tae Joon could do was shrug and mumble and stare into space. He didn't want Elliott stay, but nor did he want him to leave, and the truth of the matter was that the person Tae Joon wanted to be furthest from in that moment was himself. 

Tae Joon waited and waited for Elliott to leave, but he didn't. In the end, Elliott sat a little way away from him in silence, his face unreadable in the darkness. Above them they could hear Ajay moving around, but it was obvious that Elliott had asked her to keep her distance from the hacker. Tae Joon had no idea how long they remained there, but eventually Elliott got to his feet, and headed for the door.

"Thank you," Tae Joon said quietly into the gloom.

"Just... promise me you'll at least drink some water today. I'm going to go and speak to the others. You stay here if you need to." Elliott sounded tired, and Tae Joon suddenly felt incredibly guilty. When he had found out the truth, he hadn't even tried not to fall apart. He has given up almost instantly, and let everyone down, especially Elliott. He screwed his eyes up in frustration and grabbed the bottle of water. His head was splitting and he felt like crap, but people had died at the Syndicate's hands and he was sitting, hiding in the shadows like a child just because he was ashamed. People he cared about had suffered and were suffering still, and while Tae Joon knew he had every right to feel awful, he still had work to do. He downed the bottle too quickly and his stomach cramped in protest, but he ignored it, grabbing his drone and striding out of the hold, determined to be better.

When he reached the main deck the first thing he saw was Ajay studying Eve's monitors, while Eve herself was sitting up on her gurney looking much better, a mug of tea in her hands. Tae Joon ignored her completely as he offered an apologetic smile at Ajay. She glanced around herself and then motioned to Tae Joon to follow her into the cockpit.

Half expecting a reprimand from the no nonsense medic, Tae Joon went with her, his head bowed slightly as she shut the door behind them.

"Ajay, I-" he began, but he was silenced at once as she reached up and pulled him down into a ferocious hug. 

"I'm sorry, Tae," she said against his shoulder. 

Tae Joon actually laughed. "Why are you the one who is sorry?" he asked her. "Fairly certain it should be me."

"Yeah, well, maybe," she said gently as she released him. "But after you left last night Eve couldn't seem to stop runnin' her mouth. Told me all about where you come from, what you been through." She looked down at her hands. "Always had it pretty easy growin' up, never had to worry about when I was gonna eat again or where I was gonna sleep. And then, when she told me about your sister, about you... I mean, she said they nearly killed you out there a few times. I don' know if you were feelin' sorry for yourself 'cos you fell into their trap or not, but I know it don' matter. You still got this, Tae."

Tae Joon felt awful. Elliott had said similar things to him that morning and they had barely registered at all, but somehow hearing it from Ajay was helpful and made him feel better. He took a deep breath before repeating this thought to Ajay. 

"Well, of course it's better comin' from me," she said with a shake of her head. "We're friends... we're family. Elliott though, Elliott's the one you always wanna be your best for, and I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you don' think you're ya best self right now."

"I wanted him near," Tae Joon said, "But I hated that he had to be near me. Does that even make sense?"

Ajay smiled. "Funnily enough, yeah." She punched him on the arm. "'Memba what I told you? When things are really getting ya down, he's the one ya want."

Tae Joon sighed. "I may have gone beyond that now. I just want him all the time."

Ajay wrinkled her nose at him, her smile wide. "Adorable and dorky. I love it."

Tae Joon smiled back. "Is he around?" he asked hopefully.

"No hun, he went up to tell the others what Eve told us," she said softly, rubbing his arm.

Tae Joon huffed out a breath. "It's the middle of the day. He could get caught."

To his surprise, Ajay actually looked a little guilty at his words. 

"He got caught already, didn't he?" Tae Joon said plainly.

"Actually, no," Ajay said sternly. "Tavi did."

Tae Joon frowned. "What happened?"

Ajay sighed and sat down in the pilot's seat. "You ever tried keepin' that boy cooped up?" she said wearily. "He's been doin' fine, I've been helping him wean himself off his stim ever since we found out what it was doin' to his heart, but I didn't know just how bad the stuff was. Anyway, managed to keep him in my room for most of yesterday, but then, before we came up here last night, he kinda set fire to the kitchen."

Tae Joon didn't even argue. It sounded about par for the course for Octavio.

"Not like, a lot though. Just caught a towel when he was trying to make himself some soup."

"Octavio eats soup?"

"Not like he has to waste time chewin' it. Someone from the staff came up pretty quickly when the alarm went off. Credit to Tavi though, whipped his phone out as soon as they arrived and took a selfie with this poor woman, pot still burnin' in the background. Posted it and claimed him an' you guys had stowed away as a prank. Got a call an hour later from some jerk back at the complex sayin' if ya don' come back tonight ya gonna be suspended again."

Tae Joon blinked at her a few times. "Does Elliott know this?" 

Ajay nodded. "Uh huh. He said he was going to tell you."

"He didn't," he replied, but then, he doubted that Elliott would have wanted to add to the heaping misery he had buried himself in. He felt as though he owed Elliott a massive apology, but in his heart he could still feel that fear like grains of sand, the idea that Elliott would look at him and no longer like what he saw. 

"I have to go back," Tae Joon said.

"I know," Ajay said sadly. "Elliott figured as much too. He's lettin' the others know. You an' him can take the transport the Syndicate's sending in a few hours."

"What... what about Octavio?" Tae Joon asked hesitantly.

"Well, no offence Tae but if he tries to get back into that ring again with the poison those bastards are putting into him, I'll kill him myself," she said, narrowing her eyes. "S'alright, you heard the man in charge. If he don' go back, he's suspended."

Tae Joon still didn't like the sound of that. "They surely will not be pleased about that, and we know what they are capable of."

Ajay shrugged, but Tae Joon could tell that she was worried too. "Path's gonna have to go back, although he's gotta stay with someone at all times. We gotta keep an eye on him." 

"Yes." He jerked his head from side to side. "If Elliott and I need to return tonight, I should talk to the others first. Need to make sure we are all on the same page."

"Well, they know you're here now, but Tavi said you'd been camping on the beach, tryin' to see how long it was until you either got caught or he got bored, but I guess that means you're safe to go up there now."

Tae Joon raised an eyebrow at her. "He is far too adept at lying," he said warningly. 

"Preachin' to the choir, hun," Ajay said, shaking her head.

-

Tae Joon wanted to find Elliott before speaking to anyone else, but there were things that needed to be taken care of first. He found Anita and asked her to fly Eve and the ship back to the port when the sun went down. He hoped Mystik would be able to arrange for someone to drop her back without any fuss, but like the complex, the resort was not a prison for the legends and they could leave if they wanted to. All that really mattered was ensuring that Anita wasn't spotted, and that one of Mystik' s contacts could take the ship and Eve when it returned. It was too much to hope all of that would go smoothly, but there was no time to plan any further. Anita seemed rather keen to plunge headfirst into a reckless plan for a change, but she told Tae Joon she was just itching for an excuse to be suspended, too. He tried to impress on her how important it was that they were all careful and like a proper soldier, Anita relented and agreed, but she still seemed far from happy about it. 

He still couldn't find Elliott some time later when he had spoken to the others about everything, even though they all mentioned they had seen him earlier. He was starting to worry, but there was really nowhere Elliott could go.

He spoke to Octavio about what he and Ajay had discussed. Octavio said he would remain at the resort with the others; they couldn't force him to come home and if they disqualified him from the Games completely then that was even better. He spoke to Makoa, Natalie and Caustic as one, and though they didn't like it, they agreed to continue competing for the sake of his sister. Pathfinder was thrilled that there would be someone around him all the time and mentioned that he was looking forward to spending so much time with his friends, until Bloodhound volunteered to do first watch, dampening Pathfinder's mood a little when Artur immediately perched atop his head. 

"Try not to move," Bloodhound said slowly.

It was Renee who finally did what Tae Joon had in all honesty been waiting for someone to do, and called him out. Mostly she was furious that it hadn't occurred to him just why the Syndicate was happy to let him remain in the Games, and he had better be more careful in future. 

"I know. I... have been foolish."

Renee regarded him with narrowed eyes. "Look, I don't wanna be the one to say it, but someone has to." She took a deep breath and hardened her expression. "Maybe spend a little more time focusing, and a little less time in Elliott's bed."

Tae Joon couldn't even argue, because since he had found out the truth, he couldn't deny that she was right. 

-

Tae Joon took the opportunity to wash himself and get changed, before quickly heading back down to the ship to take down his network. He spoke with Eve as briefly as he could. She still refused to tell them how she had gotten herself hurt, and it didn't help Tae Joon to have any more faith in her. He told her the basics of the plan, assured her that she would be as safe as he could be expected to ensure, and asked that in return she not betray them.

"You are going back though?" she asked.

Tae Joon paused at the door of the ship. "Did they send you here to ensure we did?"

"No," Eve said. "But I can see why you would think that. I'm not perfect, but I'm not a monster either. I didn't stop them from hurting Dr. Witt, but I didn't help them do it either. They want me dead, and if they knew what I knew, they'd be working so much harder to kill me. Honestly, I want to help you, only if it does mean that I get to keep living, but it's the truth."

Tae Joon sighed at her. "Just keep your head down. You've done enough."

He headed back up to the main building feeling a little more like his old self, but, in reality, his very old self, who was angry and focused and had nothing to soften the edges. As it was, he thought this would be the best time to find Elliott, do what had to be done and make things right. 

After a little more poking around, Tae Joon heard from Natalie that she had last seen the trickster heading out to the beach right on the very edge of the resort. He made sure he had something in his stomach first, and then, finally, went out to find Elliott.

It was sunset when he found Elliott sitting with his wrists on his knees on the sandy beach, looking out at the gently lapping water, the breeze ruffling his hair. It was like something out of a cheesy rom-com, and Tae Joon would have been quite happy to embrace it had the reality not been so grim.

He made sure that Elliott could hear him as he approached, digging his shoes into the sand as he made his way closer. Elliott turned to face him when he was only a few steps away. Elliott seemed to light up just a little when he saw Tae Joon, but he soon arranged his face into a more sombre expression.

"Hey," he said quietly. 

Tae Joon offered him a small smile and sat down next to him. Elliott studied him carefully, and something changed in his expression, the spark leaving his eyes. For a moment, neither of them said anything, then Elliott took a deep breath and looked up to the orange painted sky.

"I'd say we had a good run, but we really, really didnt," he said, his humorous words betrayed by the pained tone in which he said them, his voice breaking at the end. 

Tae Joon didn't say anything. He had no idea how Elliott already understood what he had come to say, but Elliott knew him better than he knew himself, he had just never wanted to admit it before.

"Just doesn't seem fair though, does it?" Elliot continued, his voice still strained.

"No," Tae Joon agreed softly. "This is not what I want." 

Elliott looked like he was about to argue, to beg that they not do this then, but then he shrank into himself a little, shoulders slumping in defeat. Tae Joon felt a pang of disappointment, knowing that he would agree in an instant if Elliott asked him not to walk away.

"But you are wrong," Tae Joon said softly. "It was always good. It just wasn't long enough."

Elliott let out the smallest breath, like a part if the pain inside of him had spilled out, and the sound tore Tae Joon up entirely. He didn't want this, he didn't want Elliott to be distant from him, he didn't want to deny himself the way he felt when he got to be with Elliott, and he didn't want to have to go through how awful it would feel to be without him. His whole heart was screaming at him, pleading with him to be left whole, but he couldn't listen. The fact was that when it came to Elliott, he just couldn't be trusted to think straight. Elliott was good, and kind, and brave and loyal and clever and beautiful and perfect; loving him was reckless and dangerous and distracting right now, and Tae Joon owed it to all of the others who had pledged to help him with their lives to walk away, even if it was just for now. It wouldn't mean that he cared for him less, that he would ever be able to stop thinking about him, but it would make it easier to do the hard things, knowing that there was no safety net, no place he could go where these things didn't seem to matter because the truth was they always, always did.

"I still..." Tae Joon began gently.

"Yeah, I know," Elliott sighed, getting to his feet and brushing the sand from his pants. "I still do too." He offered his hand out to Tae Joon, who took it after a moment's hesitation. He could tell that Elliott felt the same pull he did as they grasped each other, and as he got to his feet they remained holding on to each other, lost for a moment in the world they had created just for themselves. Tae Joon selfishly pressed his lips to Elliott's, crushing them as for the last time he let his emotions overpower all logic, and Elliott responded in kind with want and need and love. 

For just a moment, Tae Joon was so close to taking it all back, but then it was Elliott who pulled away, guilt and mild anger present on his face. 

"Sorry... shouldn't have done that," he muttered, running a hand over the back of his neck as he stepped away.

"You didn't," Tae Joon said, feeling his own pulse rising in his throat, his lips feeling swollen and bruised. "I did." 

"I hate this," Elliott said. "I mean, how the hell am I supposed to be around you every day? How am I supposed to just go on, knowing that I can't- I can't-" He paused, turning his back on Tae Joon. "I was trying to be calm about this, trying to be reasonable because I knew it was coming and I knew why but I don't want this." He turned back again. "I want you." 

Tae Joon felt himself breaking, he saw the frustrated tears in Elliott's eyes. He tried to speak but he couldn't, because having to leave Elliott was the hardest thing he had ever had to do, and it was killing him.

"We have to go back tonight, just the two of us all alone for the rest of the week," Elliott continued. "How the hell am I supposed to handle that?"

"I'm sorry, Elliott," Tae Joon said. He hasn't thought of that either, and now it was seeming like incredibly bad timing. 

"No!" Elliott snapped. "Don't say you're sorry. I'm not stupid, and I know this is how it has to be, and I'm just angry. I'm angry and I'm sad and I don't know how to deal with this because I've never had my heart broken like this before!" Elliott was panting, angry tears falling from his eyes which he swiped away fiercely. "Most of all," he said, he voice muted, "I'm angry that what we have could be something other than good. That it could be a problem, and it is."

Tae Joon looked down at the sands. "I know. But there is so much more I need to concentrate on and when I'm around you... I just can't."

Elliott looked away. "Bigger than us."

"Yes."

Elliott cleared his throat. "Ok. Look, I'm not going to come begging on my hands and knees or anything, not really my style, but when we get back, just... just don't take it personal if I have to keep my distance."

"That would probably make it easier on us both."

"Right... yeah." Elliott stomped a toe into the sand, his hands on his hips. "I'm gonna head back up. Think I'll relieve Bloth from robot duty until our ride back shows up. Should be here in a couple of hours."

Tae Joon nodded. "Alright."

Elliott moved his arms awkwardly. "You, uh, you gonna head up too?" he asked. 

"Think I might just stay here for a bit. I need some time."

Elliott smiled sadly at him. "Ok. I'll see you soon."

Tae Joon watched him go until he was certain he was out of sight. Then he fell to his knees in the sand, harsh, ragged sobs spilling out of him as he hunched over, the pain almost overwhelming as the sun fell behind the horizon at last.


	10. Chapter 10

As much as he wanted to stay where he was, Tae Joon knew he had to get moving. The whole point of what he was putting himself through, what he was putting them both through, was so that he could get back to what really mattered, getting Mila home and getting out. What little stirrings of plans that had been gathering at the corners of his mind had disappeared like smoke. Eve's revelation had changed everything, and though it left him feeling small and bitter, he had to get past that. Going back was never part of any plan, but now it was the only one they had. He would have to step up his secrecy game now, knowing that the Syndicate was watching him so much more closely than he ever thought. With the others returning too, Tae Joon had to work harder, and couldn't afford to lose focus not even for a moment. No more distractions, no more telling himself that he could steal little moments from the world. He dragged himself to his feet and stumbled back up to the resort. 

He passed Ajay on the way in. "You ok, hun?" she asked, pulling him into a small nook in the hallway. She looked noticeably worried, her eyes wide and searching, her brow furrowed. "What's happened?"

Tae Joon sniffed heavily and tried to look away as his eyes filled once more. "I'm fine," he lied.

Ajay placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to catch his eye.

"Is it... is Elliott..?"

"He's fine," Tae Joon said quickly, swiping a tear from his cheek with the pad of his thumb. "We... I... I left him."

Ajay seemed to crumble in front of him. "Oh, oh hun," she said softly as Tae Joon let himself break again. Ajay caught him in her arms and they both dropped to the ground. Tae Joon howled against her shoulder, not caring who heard, who might find them, because this was never going to be easy, and it was still far too raw for Tae Joon to believe he could think about anything else. 

To Ajay's credit, she didn't ask why. Perhaps she didn't need to, but she just let him break apart in her arms, running a hand down his back to anchor him.

After a while, he pulled away, an apology already waiting behind his lips, but Ajay shook her head. "You're a good man, Tae Joon Park, and you're gonna be ok."

Tae Joon didn't want to tell her that he didn't believe her, that she was wrong, even though he felt it. Ajay may have been the stronger of the two in that moment, but underneath all of that the fact remained that he was as responsible for her life now as he was for all the others. Ajay had put herself in danger for him, and that, that was the reason he had to let Elliott go. That was what he was going to remember every time he felt weak or scared, every time he wanted to run to Elliott, he was going to force himself to remember why he couldn't. 

They both got to their feet. Tae Joon mumbled a quiet thanks to Ajay, the beginnings of shame starting to take root in his stomach. "I should go and get ready to leave," he said.

Ajay offered him a warm smile. "Ok hun," she replied.

Tae Joon made his way to the bathroom. He dreaded to think how he must look, covered in sand and snot, his eyes bloodshot and his face blotchy. It was luckily unoccupied when he arrived, and he immediately switched on a tap and held his hands beneath it, splashing ice cold water on to his face. He placed his hands against the sink and took a few ragged breaths. Keeping it together was going to be hard, but he had to. Maybe he could set aside five minutes of every day to fall apart in the privacy of his own room, he thought with a mirthless laugh. Maybe by the end of all of this, assuming he survived, it wouldn't even hurt anymore. He didn't believe that either, but it was easier to think that than admit what was truly causing him to feel like he was being torn to shreds. He didn't want to think about how Elliott might not care for him on the other side, how his feelings might fade if it took too long. Tae Joon already knew he was locked in to Elliott, already knew that the man would always be his everything. The thought that Elliott might one day not feel the same was killing him.

He shook his head. This was why, he told himself, staring sternly at his miserable reflection. This was why getting involved in the first place had been so stupid. He was a wreck. Right now he felt like he couldn't even hold himself upright, and in the coming weeks and months he was going to have to lead a group of people who weren't even really soldiers into war. If he had done nothing, if he had filed his ridiculous feelings away and never acted upon them, they would maybe have started to fade by now. Instead he had been stupid and reckless, and now he would have to live each day knowing what he had lost. Knowing that he could no longer wake each morning with Elliott's arms around him, could no longer steal gentle kisses and touches in the shadows, could no longer feel the way he did when they moved together, skin and sweat and whispered oaths that made him blush. Knowing most of all that everything between them hadn't gone away just because he had said stop, that it was still there, like a thorn in his side, a dagger in his heart, waiting to be acknowledged. Soon he would be seeing Elliott again, and one awful conversation on the beach changed nothing. He was still hopelessly devoted to the other man, and they would both have to know it and endure it and do nothing. Elliott would never try to tell him that it was ok for them to be, Elliott didn't have to stand where he did, and Elliott wouldn't ever want to be selfish. Tae Joon was certain that soon he would break, and it would be a whole new kind of heartache when Elliott told him no. 

He steadied himself again, as much as he was able, and left the bathroom. 

As he made his way to the main area of the building, he could hear a conversation being held in hushed tones just ahead, and when he heard his name being mentioned, he paused by the door.

"... with Tae. He's pretty cut up." It was Makoa speaking, his tone soft and sad.

"Oh no." Renee this time. "I didn't think... shit, this is my fault. I was the one who told him to."

"You did?" Makoa sounded a little incredulous.

He heard Renee sigh heavily. "Not exactly, I just... I was mad. I said that Elliott was maybe too much of a distraction."

He heard Makoa make a sound of disagreement. "Oh..."

"I'll make it right. I'll speak to Tae Joon, tell him I never meant-"

Tae Joon braced himself and strode through the door. "Its alright Renee," he said, though he couldn't meet her eye. "You were right. I was being careless, and the truth is when it comes to Elliott..." He felt his hands curling into fists. "I just cannot think clearly. I can't afford to be distracted or confused."

Renee looked miserable. "I am so sorry, Tae. This is stupid. You guys... You need each other," she said wretchedly. 

Tae Joon almost gave in there and then. Renee's permission was really all he needed to go straight back to Elliott, to beg forgiveness and whatever else it took to have him back. He forced himself to remember. 

"Maybe," he confessed. "But right now, that is not for the best."

"This is my fault," Renee continued, refusing to be absolved. 

Tae Joon finally met her eye. "No. The times ahead are going to be difficult. We all need to be able to speak up, even if the words are difficult to hear."

Makoa shook his head. "Tae, together or apart, you and Elliott are still..." He paused, searching for the right word. "Compromised."

Tae Joon closed his eyes. "For... for now. We may have a little time to..."

Makoa walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't want to make it worse, but I was just with him and... I don't know if there is enough time in the world."

Tae Joon looked at him, eyes brimming. "He understands," he said firmly, willing himself not to fall apart again, but the idea of Elliott hurting was too much. 

"But-"

"Makoa," Tae Joon whispered. "Please."

Makoa nodded. "I'm sorry."

-

Tae Joon was standing right by the landing pad when transport ship arrived. He still hadn't seen Elliott since the beach, and his fear and dread at the fact had manifested somewhere in his stomach, making him feel sick. He heard the ship arriving and looked up into the darkened sky to see the small transport descending on the resort, but Elliott was still nowhere to be found. For a moment he began to worry. He thought that perhaps Elliott had decided that suspension and possible ousting from the Games was better than getting on that ship, but then he heard thundering footsteps behind him. He turned, in spite of himself, and there was Elliott, jogging towards the platform, his rucksack on his back. For a moment, Tae Joon felt the rising warmth within him that happened every time he saw Elliott, but it was soon replaced with something much colder and hollow. Elliott came to a stuttering halt when he saw Tae Joon, and for a moment he saw the longing in his eyes before both men turned away.

They didn't speak to each other. It would have been pointless as the sound of the ship's engines would have drowned them out anyway. They were met by a stern looking Syndicate agent and it was only Elliott's quick smile and smooth words that relaxed their menacing stare and reminded Tae Joon just how vital Elliott was going to be in the days to come.

"Silva?" the agent barked as they neared. In light of everything, Tae Joon had forgotten they would have to explain the daredevil's absence away, but Elliott chimed in before Tae Joon had even opened his mouth.

"Yeah, he said something about taking it out of his paycheck," Elliot replied, flashing a toothy grin. The agent looked momentarily pissed, then relaxed as they motioned Tae Joon and Elliott towards the door. "Manny's gonna be pissed," they chuckled. "I got money riding on the fact that he wouldn't do as he was told. Brat." Both Elliott and Tae Joon had to bite their tongues at that one.

As they boarded the ship, a quiet resentment took hold in Tae Joon, that Elliott still had enough composure about him to turn on the old Mirage charm, but he held it back as they sat side by side in the tiny ship, Octavio's empty chair between them as the Syndicate's officer sat just ahead next to the pilot. The pilot turned to look back at them, his face falling as he asked if they were all buckled in. Then he turned back to the front and begrudgingly passed some cash to the agent, who snatched it with a hiss of triumph.

Tae Joon felt numb as the ship ascended into the sky. He was trying to think of something, anything to stop himself from thinking about the man not currently more than three feet from him, and in doing so instead he found himself sneaking a glance at Elliott.

He looked different. He looked like someone had taken away his light and left nothing behind. He looked empty and completely devastated. Tae Joon swallowed around the lump in his throat and looked down into his hands.

"Ell-" he began.

"Not now, Hyeon," Elliott mumbled, and Tae Joon nodded, the use of the name enough to shake him to his core. 

They spent the rest of the ride in silence, but Tae Joon was certain that Elliott stole just as many glances at him as he did at the trickster.

-

Back at the complex, the severe man in the suit whose name they still didn't know was there to meet them. He said nothing, but motioned at them to follow him to the dreaded conference room. They fell in step behind him, and it was only then, back behind their walls, that reality began to hit Tae Joon, and his breathing became short in his lungs. For the first time since he had started all of this, he didn't know what was waiting for him, not even just a little, and he began to panic, unsure if behind that door someone was waiting to chastise him or kill him. Elliott must have noticed, Elliott always noticed, and as the PR guy disappeared through the door, Elliott held out a hand in front of Tae Joon, though he was careful not to touch him.

"You're ok," Elliott told him. Elliott wasn't looking at him, Tae Joon couldn't blame him for that, but there was just a hint of something in his words, underneath all the sadness and hurt was the faith he had always had in Tae Joon, and it helped a little as they walked through the door.

"Have we met?" the man asked as they stepped into the room. 

"Many times," Tae Joon replied. After the last win, the guy had been all over them, but in all honesty it was Renee who had garnered the lion's share of his attention, and frankly Tae Joon had been too relieved to wonder why.

"Ok, great. So you know I'm Isaac, and you two-" He paused, looking over them both with a complete lack of interest, "are in trouble." He straightened up, sighing heavily. "We're not going to suspend you," he said plainly. "Frankly, Mirage has been out of the Games too long and it's showing in the numbers. However," Isaac continued, raising a finger. "The Syndicate will be fining you all royalties for the rest of the season, and there are to be no more... indiscretions, or the penalties will be much more severe. We would prefer if you remained on site until the next match, the time and date of which has been sent to your inboxes. Any questions?" Tae Joon and Elliott shook their heads. "Alright. Enjoy the rest of the week, gentlemen."

Isaac didn't move, pulling a phone from the inside pocket of his jacket, so Tae Joon and Elliott took it upon themselves to be dismissed. As the door clicked shut behind them, Tae Joon was uncomfortably aware that this was the first time they had been alone together since the beach. He wanted to say something, but he also knew why, so instead he gave Elliott a brief nod and all but ran back to his room. He slammed the door behind himself, pressing his back against, his breath ragged. 

"You're ok."

The first words Elliott had spoken to him since and they were like a song. He knew it had only been hours, not days or weeks and he was meant to feel like this still, but it was so much and he was going to have to do it on his own. He fell onto his bed, willing sleep to come and give him some reprieve, and wondered if Elliott was doing the same a few doors away. 

-

He woke up several times in the night, old nightmares mixing with new ones, his hand aching empty when he reached out for comfort. This was when his temptation was highest. It was just the two of them for almost a week, it made no sense for them not to be together. It would be easy, it would be so damn easy to just make his way down the hall and back to Elliott. He lay there, hands over his chest as he stared at the ceiling in the darkness, the muscles in his legs jumping every time he almost gave in. At one point he even got out of bed and crossed his room to the door. He paused, his eyes fixed downward as he saw a shadow moving in the crack of light that spilled in beneath his door, and after a few moments hesitation he gave in so completely and pulled the door wide, only to be met with empty air and the sound of a door gently clicking shut down the hall. He returned to his bed with a fresh pain in his chest, and stared, eyes dry and sore, until the sun came up.

He was far from hungry when he woke. Tae Joon felt like things like eating and drinking were a waste of time now, but he hadn't eaten in nearly two days and even though he was on the verge of not caring, he was also astute enough to realise how selfish that was. He went through his usual motions, checking his computer, glaring at the shower but not bothering. Then he headed down to the kitchen to grab enough stodgy food to take back to his room and last him through the day.

He felt ridiculous, but he was careful as he stepped around every corner, waiting and listening and holding his breath and, basically, hiding from Elliott. Along with the bog-standard heart rending pain, guilt was starting to gnaw at him too. He was the one who had done this, who had said they couldn't be together and who had caused Elliott all this pain, forgetting the thousand or so whispered promises that Elliott would never lose him, would never be alone again. The thought was like needles in his chest and now he was waiting, waiting for the day when Elliott's grief would turn to anger and he would hate him.

He managed quite well when he reached the kitchen. There were cookies and potato chips and bottles of water in the fridge. He was fine, absolutely fine, right up until he pushed some things around in the fridge, disturbing a long since forgotten bottle of lemon juice in the back. It wasn't even really close to the scent he was used to, it was sharp and strong and sour, but there was just enough of a hint of the familiar citrus smell to make his knees weak. He made it back to his room before the tears began to fall, and stuffed his fist into his mouth as he leant against the door so no one would hear his choking sobs. 

-

The next day was just as bad. Tae Joon remembered to check his inbox and was told that as well as the upcoming match in six day's time, the higher ups also wanted him to do an interview as he was still, technically, the latest champion. Groaning, he remembered that meant not only having to talk to other people but putting on the costume, too. Feeling reckless, he typed back a quick reply telling them where they could stick their interview, but he stopped himself from sending it, and just crawled back into bed instead.

-

The next morning was, somehow, better. The fact that he had been emotionally drained and averaging around thirty minutes of actual, deep sleep a night finally caught up with him and he crashed out for four solid hours. He woke up without a headache for the first time in days, and though everything was still a long way from alright, he found within himself the strength to have something more substantial for breakfast than sugar. 

Then he ran into Elliott, and it all fell apart again.

Tae Joon was wearing a loose grey t shirt with several stains over baggy blue sweatpants when he very nearly bodily crashed into Elliott as he rounded a corner. Or rather, it was actually Mirage he almost took out in his inattentiveness. He took a few steps back, running a hand through his messy hair while Elliott stood before him, styled and made up and smelling like memories that made Tae Joon ache. 

"Sorry," he muttered, taking yet another step back while Elliott just stood there, looking so damn different in his yellow jumpsuit and goggles that Tae Joon could almost believe that he was someone else. 

"No, no, it's fine," Elliott said, and the voice was still the same so the pretence was useless.

"Interview?" Tae Joon asked, his voice small and uncertain.

Elliott plucked at his outfit and twitched his lips into a perfunctory smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Uh, yeah," he said quietly. "You?"

"This afternoon," Tae Joon replied, incredibly conscious of his own appearance. 

Elliott nodded, looking away. "Ok," he said. "I should-" He pointed over Tae Joon's shoulder. 

Tae Joon nodded shortly. "Right. Um, ok."

It wasn't just awkwardness between them, and Tae Joon found himself wishing that it was. The pull was still there, the need. It felt unreal to be this close to Elliott and not go to him, to touch him or hold him. To not be able to even just talk to him anymore. 

Elliott took a deep breath as though he was about to say something, then he just dropped his broken smile and carried on his way. 

-

Halfway through the interview, Ted asked Tae Joon if he could maybe dial back the grumpy, brooding demeanour a bit as the interview was becoming kind of a bummer. He apologised and carried on answering formulaic questions, until the interview was over and he could finally make a break for it and get out of his coat. 

-

Two days later the others came home, including, to Tae Joon's surprise, Octavio. However, twenty minutes later he heard the sound of raucous laughter screaming down the halls and the sound of Octavio scraping and tearing down the corridor. He poked his head out of his door and as Octavio rushed past Tae Joon felt the rush of air that went with him. Isaac was standing some way away, holding 'Octane's' cracked goggles in one hand, a look of mild irritation on his face. "Adios amigoes!" Octavio howled, and Tae Joon withdrew back into his room, waiting for the whole thing to die down so one of them could come to him later and tell him the full story in private. 

It was actually Anita who relayed the full story to him and not Ajay, as he had expected, as she was apparently in constant communication with Octavio to make sure he didn't have any "accidents'. Octavio for his part had stuck to the agreed plan. He had headed straight for the Paradise Lounge, where a legion of both Mystik and Elliott's contacts were hanging out to make sure nothing happened to him. He seemed to be in good spirits following his termination from the Games, and the brass had already released a statement announcing his retirement from the Games. There were going to be exclusive interviews with both the man himself in coming days as well as his fellow legends, which was another headache Tae Joon didn't need as he had to formulate a story for them all to go along with. As much as he would have liked to call it a day then, Tae Joon knew he would have to head down to the lounge later on so they could all talk about what came next. 

All of them.

He managed at least to find some clothes with minimal staining and made his way down after he was certain the rest of them would have eaten their dinner. They were all there as expected, sitting a little more stiffly than usual, Octavio's absence far too noticeable in the quiet of the room. As he approached the room he told himself over and over not to immediately seek out Elliott, but his eyes still slid over each face that had turned to him as he entered until he found the one that hadn't. Elliott was sitting as far from the door as possible, staring down at his hands, and the only indication that he knew Tae Joon had arrived was a slight shifting in his seat. 

He was certain by now that the news had travelled well through everyone. Not due to behind the back gossiping or anything so callous, but simply as a heads up, a warning to be a little careful around them as things were still raw. Still, it was an elephant in the room and Tae Joon knew better than to let it linger. 

If felt oddly formal as he took his place amongst them, like he was teaching a class on corporate espionage at the local college. He felt exposed and stupid, with nothing new to offer them other than a rehashing of rules they were already smart enough to have figured out for themselves. 

To get it out of the way, he implored them all not to mention his and Elliott's relationship. The Syndicate didn't need any more ammunition to use against him, and they hadn't been stupid enough to parade it about. This was met with a lot of awkward coughing and eyes turned away, while Elliott himself just carried on staring at the floor as though he hadn't heard anything at all. It didn't need saying that they didn't have a relationship any more. Everyone knew they didn't, but it had been locked in a box marked 'Unimportant' for the time being and that was that. 

He wanted to apologise to Elliott all over again, he wanted to do whatever it took to make the angry hurt in his eyes go away, and then he reminded himself what he was in the middle of, and he carried on.

They all had the date for the next match. They would fight as they always had, to win, but there would be one exception.

Pathfinder.

Whoever was on the MRVN's team were basically being assigned to be his body guards. The plan was to keep him safe and whole while by his side, and not to shoot at him too much if they came up against him. They couldn't risk Pathfinder being left alone without someone by his side to make sure he wasn't getting replaced.

"Perhaps we could mark him," Elliott said in a sullen voice, the first words anyone had heard him speak all evening. "Y'know, so we can be sure he's our Pathfinder."

Tae Joon waited for someone else to agree that it was a good idea, or even just to acknowledge him in general. He didn't want to speak to Elliott, not here, in front of everyone. 

"Like a brand," Natalie said slowly. 

"It's a great idea friends, but there is one problem," Pathfinder said, his cheery tone at odds with the gravity of his words. "After every match, I am put through a diagnostic by the Syndicate's engineers."

Tae Joon frowned. "Where?" he asked. 

Pathfinder whirred a little. "In the med bay."

"Not the workshop?" Tae Joon asked curiously.

"They don't go in there," Anita supplied. "Legends only."

"Kind of makes you wonder why we're not having this meeting in there," Elliott said, smiling at Tae Joon for a moment before catching himself and looking away. 

Tae Joon felt a sharp pain in his chest but forced a small laugh out of himself. "Noted for next time," he said softly. "Well, one of us is going to have to be sent to the med bay then," Tae Joon continued, "and very early on."

Ajay raised her hand. "I'm always there anyway, and I'm the only one who can hang around without bleedin'." 

Tae Joon nodded. "Alright, as long as you are not on Pathfinder's team. Are you sure you don't mind?" 

Ajay shook her head. "None of us wanna be there hun," she said, before her eyes widened and she quickly arranged her face into an apologetic expression. "I only mean-"

"It's alright," Tae Joon said hurriedly. "You can't know how much it means to me that you all came back, and how much I wish you didn't have to."

There was a lot of embarrassed smiling and gruff clearing of throats before Tae Joon coughed himself and sat up a little straighter. "We need two others to volunteer, in case Ajay is teamed with Path. I suppose I could-"

Anita shook her head. "No, you stay in the ring as long as you can," she said quickly. "Download some fake files, you know, really ham it up."

Tae Joon didn't want to admit it, but she was right.

"If Ajay cannot, I will," came Caustic's gruff voice. "I have a... pre-existing condition. It could prove a useful excuse to prolong my visit there."

Tae Joon nodded at him. "Thank you."

"I'll go," Renee piped up. She shrugged. "Sometimes my head hurts."

More uncomfortableness followed this statement, but Tae Joon breezed past it. "Obviously our ultimate goal is to get Pathfinder to win, but other than that, we should treat each other as we usually would in the ring."

"Hold on friend, isn't that cheating?" Pathfinder asked worriedly.

"Yes Path," Elliott said wearily before Tae Joon could answer. "We spoke about this, remember?"

Pathfinder nodded. "Oh yes. They are bastards."

Even Caustic cracked a smile as the rest of them let out snorts of laughter and small gasps of shock. 

Renee shook her head at Elliott, but there was a hesitation in her voice before she spoke to him. Tae Joon knew she was wondering if Elliott was aware just who had given Tae Joon the final push he had needed to do what was necessary. "You're a bad influence on him," she complained, but fondly. 

"I try to be a bad influence on everyone," Elliott replied, and just the words sent shockwaves somewhere low inside Tae Joon and he actually squirmed in his seat. It would be so much worse, he thought fiercely to himself, if he could actually have the things his mind was teasing him with, because he knew he would be able to think of little else. As it was, he was desperate to banish the thoughts from his mind and concentrate on what needed to be done. He was glad that Elliott was dragging some of his old self out as well, even if he knew him well enough not to buy it for a second. It was a start, at least. 

Tae Joon just had a few little things to clear up afterwards. He told Anita that her smoke grenades had been rerouted to the ship, which Natalie informed them all she had cheerfully christened 'The Wreckoning' during her walkabout with Elliott. He asked Makoa if there was any word from his husband, to which Makoa replied that so far they were keeping things clandestine, especially now that Makoa was going to have to return to the Games. There were a few comments and questions tossed around here and there by the others but eventually they could no longer ignore the fact that it was getting late and, no matter how much they loathed the idea, they all had a match tomorrow. Elliott was one of the first ones out of the door while Tae Joon made certain to hang back, and soon it was just he and Ajay left. She placed a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"How ya doin', sugar?" she asked softly.

"Honestly?" Tae Joon answered. "I hate myself. I hate this. It... It hurts so much Ajay."

She bit her lip in sympathy and sighed. "I know, hun," she said. "I know."

-

Sleep was hardly an option, but Tae Joon dared not to leave his room for the rest of the night. He had to make do with the limited resources outside of the workshop to get all of his drones back up to match standard, and by the time he was done he knew he was about half an hour away from watching the sky bleed blue-grey into the darkness. He slumped into bed, bone tired and aching, inside and out, waiting for the inevitable hammering of Isaac on his door in a few hours time, and the inevitable puppet show that would follow. 

-

Pre-match pictures and interviews done, the legends slouched aboard the drop ship, trying to play down their tension for any nearby officials. The ride over to the arena was quiet; Tae Joon suspected that many of them didn't trust themselves to speak in case they gave the game away. Tae Joon still felt the same sense of dread and confinement he had the minute he had slipped into his dressing room and seen that damn coat hanging on the back of the door. Once it had been so important, something that actually brought comfort to him, but now it was just part of the machine, another thing for them to merchandise and sell off his back. 

Eventually, the cool announcer's voice sounded over the speakers, telling them to get into their squads and make their way to the platform. Tae Joon ambled over to the drop area, glancing up at the board to see who he had been teamed with, and coming to a dead stop. His mugshot was on the left of Caustic's, with Ajay's on the other side. He slowly realised that this was the first time he had been in a match where he hadn't been on Elliott's team or Elliott had been absent. He glanced up and saw that Elliott was with Pathfinder and Natalie, and he had already taken his place between them. Tae Joon knew that Elliott could keep his head down and carry Pathfinder to the end, not that the robot needed any carrying, but tensions were on high alert and even a stray bullet hitting Pathfinder would be panic stations. He, on the other hand, knew that with both Ajay and Caustic on his squad they would be dropping hot and quick, and the match would in all likelihood be very brief. The only problem was that Tae Joon was supposed to be staying in it for as long as possible, keeping the other competitors away from Pathfinder as much as possible. 

The platform lowered and Tae Joon felt his stomach clench in fear. The idea of competing had never scared him before, but the stakes felt so much higher now. His priorities kept shifting and trading places; Mila was still so important, but right now his main goal was to keep the strange robotic friend he had made alive.

"Let's land here!" Caustic suggested, as the beginning of the dropship's path took them over Thermal Station. 

"I heard that," Ajay said resolutely while Tae Joon also responded in the affirmative. The fall, the actual act of leaving the ship and heading for ground had lost little of its exhilarating charm regardless of the circumstances. Everything about him felt lighter and freer, from the tiredness in his eyes to the ache in his heart. As they dropped, Ajay and Caustic headed for the supply bins in the dead centre around the tower, while Tae Joon pealed off to the side to the small building stationed above the lava flow. 

"No, dammit, sorry boys, caught the railing," Ajay hissed down the comms as the steady ticking down of her health readout let Tae Joon and Caustic know she had landed in the molten rock. She managed to climb back out and hid behind one of the small structures at the bottom off the pillars to deploy her health drone, completely unarmed. "Enemy sp-" There was a sudden rattling of gunfire and Ajay was down, out and gone before Tae Joon had even picked up the Prowler in front of him. He worried if maybe she had made it a little too obvious; Lifeline didn't die so easy, but it was too late now and there was nothing to be done but believably flub the retrieval of her banner. 

Caustic had managed to find some armour and had placed a few gas traps, a signature move it would have been stupid not to repeat now. Tae Joon crouched low inside his own building and sent out his drone, piloting it towards Ajay's deathbox and luckily running into the rookie who took her out first. His drone went up in a puff of smoke just as the voice rang out around the arena announcing a new kill leader. 

"Taking fire - I need a weapon," Caustic barked down the comms. Every gas trap he had placed so far had been set off and the base off the tower was lost in a green haze. Tae Joon checked his Prowler and began to run towards the mess, just as Caustic was taken out by an errant grenade that had been tossed into the fog, and that on any other day he would have had no problem avoiding.

Tae Joon managed to drop a choking rookie as he skidded over the walkway towards Caustic, passing Ajay's deathbox just as the timer ran out and it fizzled like a decoy into nothingness. The horrible reminder actually was enough to make him misstep as he approached his fallen squadmate, and he had to throw his hands out in front of him to catch the railing and prevent himself from suffering the same fate as Ajay. The downed opponent finally wheezed their last as Tae Joon righted himself, and with a tightness creeping over his skin he broke the first rule of the Games and began looking through their things while Caustic bled out at his ankles. 

After deciding that any more would be career suicide, Tae Joon grabbed a rez shot from his pack and slammed it into Caustic's chest. Caustic grabbed his wrist in a gloved hand and tried to push him away. 

"Enemy... close..." the chemist gasped. Tae Joon jumped up, the syringe falling from his hand as he brought his Prolwer up to eye level. Through the rapidly disappearing fog, Tae Joon made out the shape of a hunched figure grasping a Peacekeeper. Tae Joon had yet to find a shield, and one true shot from that thing would take him out completely. He pinged a few shots into their head, having clearly seen them before they saw him, and then took off, retreating back to his building and feeling like a jerk when Caustic finally went out. His drone was ready to be deployed again, so he went through the motions of attempting to retrieve Caustic's banner, knowing full well that Anita and Bloodhound had arrived on the scene with their own rookie to make sure that the scientist stood no chance of being respawned. 

He waited what he thought was a likely amount of time before dashing away to a jump tower, hoping to find a less busy spot to hunker down in. Hopefully Ajay and Caustic were already making nuisances of themselves in the med bay and Tae Joon hadn't seen Pathfinder appear in the kill feed, so all they had to do now was muddle through. 

He landed on a ridge just over the tunnel and dropped down behind a rock. There was a high, electrical sound as the train glided into the station, and Tae Joon growled under his breath at all the attention it would attract. Searching a nearby bin he found a G7 and stowed it on his back next to his Prowler, turning away from the station to hide between the cliff faces. 

His whole role in this match was, however, to take out as many people as he could before they could get to Pathfinder. All of them were working towards that goal, but it was hard to implement. Firstly, he couldn't always be sure that it was strangers who were firing all the shots he could hear. If he went running head first into an altercation only to come face to face with someone else on the same protection duty as he was, it would be difficult for all involved to find a believable reason not to try to slaughter each other. Pathfinder's protection detail wasn't going to be very useful if they killed each other first. 

Secondly, he was on his own, and while he had plenty of faith in his own skills, it perhaps didn't stretch to being able to squad wipe everyone else in the ring. He sighed. Nevertheless, his role was to take out anyone who could take out the robot, and he did still have one small, hovering advantage when it came to checking whether it was worth jumping into a fight or not. 

He slid down the side of a muddy hill towards some makeshift buildings that had been set up at the bottom. He could hear movement inside, and, hunkering down behind a freight container, he sent his drone out to scout ahead. He didn't recognise the two others he found searching through the building, and he recalled his drone immediately before they also decided to blow it up. 

He could tell he had them panicking, eyes fixed on the doorways in case of an ambush. It was almost casual the way he tossed the arc star through the window and shredded their shields. He climbed up on the roof of the building, waiting for them to figure it was safe to mend their shields before dropping down through the doorway and taking them both out without even having to reload. 

He checked through their stuff, being a little short on meds, before moving on before the ring could start snapping at his heels. 

Before long, Natalie's encroaching invention had forced him to Capital City. Tae Joon was slightly irritated that the match had headed that way, as it was one of his least favourite places to fight. He sent his drone out to look ineffectually at one of the panels on the wall before picking a building to bed down in. There were five squads left. 

His hiding spot was disturbed just a few moment's later when Renee entered, two strangers on her side, her face looking irritated and stressed. She scoped the place out and Tae Joon was careful to lower his assault rifle, lest the voices alert her to his presence. It made no difference. She saw him straight away.

"Someone's been here," she muttered to her squad, trying to get them to leave. 

"Hold on, I see light rounds," one of the others said, a large man covered in tattoos, an R-301 clutched in his hands, looking like a child's toy.

Renee made a big show of sighing. "Quickly then," she said in a low voice. "In and out." 

The man entered, his footsteps anything but light, and as he neared the corner Tae Joon had crammed himself into, he spotted the tip of Tae Joon's boot out of the corner of his eye.

"Enemy here!" he bellowed, and Tae Joon had to empty a clip into the idiot just to shut him up. 

Renee turned the corner, R-99 at her cheek, her eyes flicking to Tae Joon but still pretending she didn't see him, even though the moron bleeding out at her feet was gesturing wildly inbetween choking sobs. After a while, however, it got hard to pretend, so after the smallest nod at him, Tae Joon opened fire on Renee.

She tanked the first two shots, then disappeared in a zip of purple light, giving Tae Joon enough time to slip out of the building and away. Renee's other squadmate, a small, squat person covered in armour was waiting by the door, and Tae Joon was caught by surprise as the rookie's point blank Triple Take shot ruptured his shields. He began firing, dropping them and also taking them out before running, shields gone and health low, only to find that spending most of the match standing still had left him quite low on supplies. With just a shield cell and a syringe, his patched himself up as best as he could and hoped that the voices told Renee how best to avoid him. 

Another squad went down, so that meant that the remainders were Tae Joon on his own, Renee and her muscular burden, assuming she had had to pick him back up once Tae Joon had left, one of unknown makeup and as far as he knew, Pathfinder was still going strong with Elliott and Natalie. The ring was still large enough for him to hide in, but his health status was making him want to search out some loot.

He found a small, unlooted building right at the edge of he city and slipped inside. Picking through it, he found one more shield cell and some extra ammo for his SMG. He was just making his was up the stairs when crouched at the top he saw a familiar sight that made his breath catch in his lungs. 

Unfortunately, there was a camera hovering over his shoulder, so Tae Joon had no choice but to fire.

Elliott disappeared in a shower of pixels, and Tae Joon found himself breathing out the smallest sigh of relief. The only problem was, now that he had shot the decoy, Elliott would know where he was. He dashed back down the stairs and crouched low behind a counter, listening hard for the heavy footsteps of the man he knew so well.

There was a sudden click as a frag grenade sailed through the window and landed less than five feet away from him. With no other choice, he scrambled up the elevator shaft and back up to the second floor, just as the door below burst open and he heard the sound of a squad he did not recognise. He primed a thermite and tossed it down the shaft, breath short as he heard someone complain about being burned. Pulling back the bolt on his Prowler he waited, eyes trained at the top of the stairs.

"Shots fired... and they're hitting me!"

Tae Joon's mouth went dry. He heard the sound of bullets spraying and someone went to the mat, though he had no idea who. He crept over to the edge of the stairs and saw Elliott quickly switching out his armour for that of his fallen foe, before someone else rounded the door and aimed at his shoulder. 

Before he even realised what he was doing, Tae Joon fired at the newcomer, dropping them to almost nothing before Elliott finished them off. The last member of the squad managed to shoot out the last of Tae Joon's armour, forcing him to the ground, but then Elliott took him out before Tae Joon's match was ended completely. It was as if they were on the same squad again, fighting side by side.

Elliott huffed out a large breath, before absently reaching a hand out. "Are you-" He stopped when he saw Tae Joon on his back, gun raised in front of him, his chest heaving and his eyes wide in fear. Tae Joon hadn't even considered this. Elliott blinked a few times and then, as if in slow motion, raised his own weapon in return.

Standing above him, Tae Joon saw no trace of the Elliott he knew and loved, but neither did he see Mirage. There was no laughter in his eyes, no sense of a joke lurking inside, waiting to come out. His eyes were dark, his jaw tight. He was... Tae Joon was afraid of him in that moment, and couldn't believe this was someone he had ever called a clown.

"You just remember them words when you're lookin' down the barrel of his rifle, sugar."

Tae Joon nodded, tiny and almost imperceptible. He saw Elliott's breathing stutter, saw some of the darkness lift to make way for wretchedness. Elliott's lips parted ever so slightly and his shoulders dropped a fraction. 

"I-"

"What are you waiting for, idiot?" Tae Joon growled. There was a click, and then the world went dark.

-

They won, in the end. Elliott and Natalie and Pathfinder. Pathfinder barely took a hit, but had barely any kills to show for himself by the end of the match, while Elliott and Natalie had almost a dozen each and looked like they had earned them. Tae Joon watched the post-match circus from the lounge with the others. Elliott had a cut across the bridge of his nose, his hair was singed at the tips and his cheek was bruised. Natalie had her arm in a sling, a cut on her lower lip. By now the replay of Elliott taking him out had been shown multiple times, and the awkwardness in the air was so thick Tae Joon thought he might drown in it. He knew it was far too obvious, but when the feed cut to an interview with Elliott, the other man's face taking up almost the entire screen, Tae Joon got to his feet and left the room. He could feel the eyes of some of the others as he went, but it was too much, the tightness in his chest overwhelming, and he had to get out. It was both a relief and a point of sadness that no one tried to follow him.

He sat in his room, knees drawn up to his chest on his bed, and tried not to think about the way Elliott had looked at him, just for a moment. 

Like he hated him.

Like putting a bullet in him would be cathartic. 

It had only been a week. Every fibre of Tae Joon was still crying out for Elliott, still longing for him. He could never hate him, never want to see him hurt or lost or suffering. He'd seen it too much already. He didn't cry, he felt too numb for that. He tried telling himself that Elliott had only done what he had to, and that much at least was true, but the way he had looked, the raw anger in his eyes... Tae Joon wasn't sure how he was ever supposed to see him the same way again. The world didn't know how lucky it was that Elliott was fuelled by praise instead of pain. 

He fell asleep long before Elliott and the others got back. There would be no celebration tonight, but it didn't matter. Tae Joon was still reeling, and couldn't have gotten out of bed for anything. He slept fitfully, having nightmares where Elliott was chasing him through the arena, telling him to slow down, to stop, telling him that it was ok, he was ok, sweet words that sounded like threats. Every now and then he would stop to catch his breath, and he would hear whispers on the edge of his mind, words he had spoken to Elliott, worship and broken promises that sounded like a curse.

At three in the morning he was woken by a soft tapping at his door. He rolled out of bed and crossed over to his door, too foggy with sleep to hesitate.

"Hey," Elliott said gently as Tae Joon winced at the light from the hall. 

Tae Joon's breath caught in his throat. "Elliott."

Elliott looked at him nervously. "I'm-"

"You don't have to apologise," Tae Joon said quickly. "I get it."

Elliott looked a little relieved, but not much. "Just... couldn't sleep for thinking about it."

Tae Joon nodded, unsure what to say. 

"Look... I know we didn't... it was hard to talk about and I don't want to... I don't..." Elliott sighed. "Forget it," he said.

Tae Joon truly had no idea what Elliott was trying to say. "Ok," he said. "I know that we're both going to be, well-"

"I miss you," Elliott said quickly. The words hit Tae Joon like a knife in the heart. 

"Sorry. But... I do, Tae, I miss you like mad and it hurts."

Tae Joon looked down. "Me too," he managed.

Elliott looked for all the world like he wanted to reach out to Tae Joon, as if he had to physically restrain himself from doing so. "But I'm still..." Elliott sighed and looked up to the ceiling. "This is stupid," he muttered to himself. 

Tae Joon could tell that Elliott had something he wanted to get out, and he waited. "Do you... do you want to come in?"

Elliott smiled softly at him. "Probably best that I don't," he said, though he seemed far from happy about it. "I just, you know I have a rugged image to maintain."

Tae Joon smiled and nodded. "Yes, I get that."

"So I'm trying to find a very manly, very gruff way of telling you that I'm... I'm waiting for you. I will wait for you. If you still want me after all this... I'll be here. No question, no grudges, just... me."

Tae Joon felt himself splinter. It was three in the morning. Everyone was asleep, and Elliott, despite everything Tae Joon had put him through, everything he had done, was standing right in front of him, promising to wait. He leaned forward and kissed Elliott softly, stupidly, and then pulled back. "I will always want you."

Elliott looked relieved. And a little shell shocked from the kiss. 

"You shouldn't have done that," Elliott whispered. 

"Couldn't help myself," Tae Joon replied, actually feeling awful now.

Elliott could obviously tell, and it was amazing the way that he could just bring Mirage to the fore when he needed him. "Well," Elliott said with a smirk. "You just have to learn to control yourself around me kid," he said turning away. 

Tae Joon was overwhelmingly grateful that it had been Elliott in the end who he had fallen for. "Have you seen you?" Tae Joon muttered at his back. 

"That's your problem," Elliott said smoothly, walking away.

Tae Joon went to bed feeling strange. He was happy and miserable and fine and broken all at once, but it was... better. A little bit better.


	11. Chapter 11

Tae Joon woke the next morning, hating that he was alone as usual but also with a little more fire in his chest. Life wasn't perfect, but Mila was an awful sort of safe, there had been no questions asked about the last match, and, well, Elliott was still his, in a way. He didn't hate or resent him, and the mere fact that he had promised to wait for him meant so damn much. The fact was that he had thought as much without the words, but the words themselves had been a balm to his troubled mind. He logged on to his computer with a renewed vigour. It was time to find Mila and bring her home.

He sent out a message, a quick note to anyone who could help, anyone who might have any idea where she could be. Fate must have been smiling on him though, as the solution came not from his screen, as he had assumed, but from an unexpected source when he was disturbed in his search by a knock at his door. 

He opened the door to find Makoa on the other side, his face a mixture of both sympathy and urgency. 

"Good morning Makoa," he said warily. "Is everything alright? Is Octavio ok?"

Makoa relaxed a little. "Fine, last I heard."

Tae Joon felt his pulse rise in his throat. "Then what..?" He was still looking at Makoa's expression, not scared more concerned and he realised what Makoa was worried about. It was him. He ran a hand through his bed head and stepped aside. "Please," he said, motioning to Makoa to enter.

As usual, Makoa looked simply too big in Tae Joon's small and cluttered room. To make it worse, a week of broken hearted apathy showed in Tae Joon's surroundings. Books he had grabbed in an attempt to distract himself before promptly discarding lay scattered on the floor. Empty junk food wrappers and half drunk bottles of water littered every surface, and Tae Joon was still yet to change into anything that didn't smell a little off. He let out a small huff of embarrassment and began moving around the room, gathering up trash and clothes, making room on his bed for Makoa to sit down.

Makoa laughed. "Dont you worry, brother," he said as Tae Joon deposited the mess at the foot of his computer. Tae Joon smiled weakly in response. "I mean it," Makoa said, clapping him on the shoulder. "A break in housekeeping is to be expected after-" He stopped himself suddenly. 

"It's alright, really," Tae Joon insisted as the sympathy on Makoa's face seemed to increase. "Honestly." He hesitated. "Elliott... came by last night and we sorted everything out."

Makoa smiled. "So you two are...?"

Tae Joon shook his head quickly. "No, but this is only... temporary," he said, making sure to hold his faint smile. "But it's right. I've already spent far too much time thinking about... things that shouldn't be as important right now."

Makoa looked like he was about to argue, but then he stopped himself. "I'm sorry brother. I can't even imagine what your goin' through. Had a few rough break ups myself, but, gotta say, the reason behind it wasn't usually so grim."

Tae Joon smiled at him weakly. "It's ok," he said genuinely. "And thank you for, well, checking on me." 

Makoa nodded at him. "Not the only thing I came to check on, brother. I mean, this whole thing with... with Mila. You've just got pain on pain, I wanted to make sure you're holdin' it together."

Tae Joon felt his stomach tighten as white hot worry flooded him. He swallowed thickly and shrugged. "She has something going for her. She's good. She's... the best, and they're not going to want to risk losing her, or her reason to keep doing what they wish of her." He felt himself calm down a little in his chest, his heart slowing. "And to be able do the things she does, she needs to be... safe. Well. I know she isn't happy, but she's strong, Makoa. She'll be ok."

Makoa had just the stirrings of tears in his eyes. "She sounds great brother, can't wait to meet her."

Tae Joon looked at him, his mouth slightly open. "Right," he said, smiling gently. "Yes." 

"Tell me about her."

Tae Joon did. He told Makoa about how hard it had been for them both, how for so long all they had had was each other. He remembered, as he spoke about a time when he and Mila were hiding from the rain in a broken down warehouse, making shadow puppets on the walls with their hands, how Elliott had listened to this same story with a look of warmth and sadness on his face. Elliott had his own stories about his brothers, ones that usually ended with the four of them severely grounded, and Tae Joon had both envied and pitied him. On the one hand, he would have given anything for he and Mila to have that kind of childhood. One where they could laugh and be safe and warm, where they had a mother who loved them as much as Evelyn Witt had loved her boys. But then the story would end and it was as if, just for the smallest fraction of a second, Elliott remembered, and then he lost them all over again. Mila was still alive, there was still the chance that they could make new memories, but for Elliott, all he had was all he would ever have. 

It never seemed to stop him from talking about them though. There was an a endearing element of hero worship when it came to his older brothers, and Tae Joon would listen, fascinated as Elliott went on about their games and secret made up languages. 

Tae Joon stopped mid-sentence.

"Everything alright brother?" Makoa asked, confusion creasing his brow. 

Tae Joon, his mouth suddenly very dry, said nothing as he got to his feet and hurried over to the small bookshelf screwed to his wall. He began feverishly pulling volumes down and tossing them aside without even looking at the covers until he found a small, dog-eared notebook.

He looked over to Makoa, just a small glance to let him know that soon enough he would explain himself. He flicked frantically through the book until he found a page absolutely crammed with code, the writing so small it was almost illegible, and in the centre of the page was his signature scrawl, what Mila had affectionately referred to as his 'dorky calling card'. He passed the notebook to Makoa and stepped back, running his hands through his hair.

Makoa looked at it for a moment. "Is this supposed to make sense to me, Tae?"

Tae Joon shook his head. "No, but that's the point. It's not supposed to. Only Mila would understand that."

Makoa didn't seem any less confused.

"That logo, it's something Mila made for me, and the code is just another way of representing it. If I could get that code out into the world, put it in a file I know the Syndicate is looking for, she would know it was me."

Makoa clearly realised his role as sounding board, and nodded. 

"So all I have to do is get a file and add that code to it, and Mila would know I'm looking for her. Maybe she could find a way to tell me where she is." Tae Joon was pacing the room now, his hands clenching as his mind raced. 

Makoa watched him pace, thinking for a moment. "Didn't you say she was doing something with old Militia files?" 

Tae Joon nodded. "That's right. And, oh, oh!" Tae Joon was getting frantic. "Those fake files they've been putting into the arena to keep me busy? Honestly, I must be terrible at this because I haven't found any yet but perhaps Mila could put something in there."

Makoa looked like he was barely holding on to the thread of the conversation.

"You can do that, though? Add the code?"

Tae Joon looked at Makoa like he was insulting him. Makoa laughed and held up his hands. "Fair enough."

Tae Joon came to a slow halt, ticking his head in frustration. "The only problem is I need to make sure that the file she gets is real. They're bound to check them before they pass them on to her, and I don't know enough about them to fake one convincingly."

Makoa shrugged. "I'm sure he won't mind."

Tae Joon tilted his head questioningly. Makoa caught this and shifted uncomfortably. 

"Um, Elliott. He's bound to have something from his mom." Makoa stood up, Tae Joon's bed letting out a low whine of relief. "I'll ask him, it's fine."

Tae Joon shook his head. "Thank you Makoa but... no. It's alright. I need to be able to speak to him about these kinds of things. It's... stupid to keep skirting around each other like teenagers." 

Makoa nodded. Perhaps he could tell that Tae Joon's recent enthusiasm was already waning in the face of what he was having to do, because he slapped him jovially on the back. "This is a good thing my brother!"

Tae Joon couldn't help but agree, the first warm sparks of hope flaring inside of him for the first time in too long. "Yes, it is. And Makoa? Thank you."

Makoa smiled warmly and clapped him on the shoulder as he left the room. Tae Joon sat down at his computer, thinking. The plan was far from foolproof, but it was something. He checked his inbox; the next match would be in twelve days. It was time enough to get the file and add the code; the biggest obstacle would be making sure it got to Mila. There was no telling how many hackers the Syndicate had on their payroll, willing or otherwise. For this reason he knew he was going to need a lot of help from the others, and he needed to get started as soon as possible. 

He got washed, dressed and was actually looking like someone people wouldn't cross the street to avoid. He grabbed his laptop and headed down to the workshop. As he went he passed by Renee, and a quick interrogation told him that Elliott, Path and Natalie were doing a few more interviews, and they would be back in the afternoon. 

"And hey, Tae, I still feel really bad about-"

Tae Joon held up a hand. "Please. No more? Everyone's so busy being worried and sorry and I am grateful but it all just proves your point, doesn't it?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "I mean, we're right in the middle of whatever the hell this is, targets on all of our backs, and yet for some reason all anyone can think about is some stupid relationship that didn't even make it to a month." Tae Joon hadn't meant to be so candid and irritable with her, but the truth had hit him like a freight train. They had been through so much in such a short time that when Elliott first kissed him in his room seemed like forever ago. But it wasn't. They'd been joined at the hip since practically they had finally given in to their feelings, spoken words upon words to each other but it really wasn't one for the ages.

Renee stepped back, and Tae Joon blinked, still reeling. "I didn't mean to... wow. I'm sorry." They were standing in the hall. Renee glanced around and then dragged Tae Joon by the wrist into the workshop before slamming the door behind them.

"Renee... what..?"

"Do you think anyone is here because their life has been easy?" she said, her eyes narrowed. "Even that damn maniac Octavio's been through enough crap to last several lifetimes."

Tae Joon shrank back a little, not quite sure if Renee was actually going to hit him. But then she let out a long sigh, her shoulders dropping. "What I'm trying to say is that time for us isn't much of a measure of anything. Things happen to us all at once." She looked at him shrewdly. "You know what happened to me."

Tae Joon set his mouth into a thin line. They'd spoke about it just a little, but it had been stilted and very matter-of-fact. Tae Joon had read the files, though. Renee had been pulled apart and put back together with some things in the wrong place, other parts missing and everything in pain. Renee Blasey was the name she forced herself to say until it felt like it was hers again, and they had so much in common it was almost funny.

Tae Joon opened his mouth, thinking maybe he should express sympathy but knowing that Renee was the last person who wanted it. She blamed herself, and didn't want to be forgiven.

"The point is," Renee pressed on, stopping him before he could even start, "-is that you can't dismiss things just because they didn't last very long. And yeah," she said, with a small shrug and a laugh, "this sort of thing is way out of my comfort zone. I mean, I literally can't remember the last time I had a date." She chuckled to herself at her own dark humour. "But I think maybe what you call yourselves doesn't matter. The feelings have been there much longer than you've been doing something about them, and not trying to be presumptuous or anything, but I know you still have them now."

She walked slowly over to Elliott's area of the workshop, everything that had been packed away when they thought they were leaving already returned to its cluttered, messy space. She grabbed a small, circular disc and began turning it over in her hands. Tae Joon couldn't help but notice the way his stomach dropped when he contemplated getting that close to the space that was overwhelmingly Elliott. Renee turned and leant against the table, watching him. "Like that." She tossed the projector at him and he caught it on reflex. 

"I used to watch him sometimes, when he was in here." She paused. "Ok, that's not as creepy as it sounds. I watch everyone."

"Much better," Tae Joon said with a small huff of laughter.

She grinned and shook her head. "I mean, like everyone else I saw him, out there doing his bit, grinning and winking and being a pain in the ass. Used to wonder if he ever switched it off. We'd get back here and it'd be the same old thing, honestly? Sometimes he was kind of exhausting. But then," she pointed at Tae Joon. "You came along. Didn't see much of the old Mirage charm around here from the moment you tried to break his arm."

Tae Joon could feel something swelling inside him, a mixture of happiness and an ache so cold it hurt. "I never wanted you two to be apart, but if you say you have to be, and he thinks so too, then alright. I get it. Sorry I was such a dick about it though."

Tae Joon didn't say anything. He crossed the room, into the one place where Elliott was always Elliott, and hugged her. He felt her stiffen for a moment, then she relaxed. 

"Alright, let go of me you mook," she said eventually, pulling away. 

The air was thick with awkwardness now. Both legends were usually so stoic, and usually said so little. Renee was looking as though she had exhausted her supply of words for the year.

"I'm gonna go," she said quietly. 

Tae Joon nodded. "Right. If you see Anita and Ajay, could you ask them to come see me?"

Renee nodded. "Are there plans in the works?"

"Kind of. Gonna need all hands on deck to pull it off though."

"Can't wait to hear all about it," Renee answered as she left, and Tae Joon wasn't entirely sure if she was being sarcastic or not.

-

Anita showed up less than ten minutes later, looking as though she were already in a bad mood. As Ajay was yet to arrive, Tae Joon gently pressed her on what was wrong.

Anita shook her head minutely. "Don't matter," she said.

Tae Joon looked at her disbelievingly. 

Anita gave in. "Just... the sooner we can her out of here, the better. Been tryna go home for so long, and the more I think about how it was for nothing, how I got played... I don't do well with being made to feel stupid."

Tae Joon's mouth was a thin line. "Yes, I get it."

Anita's expression softened a little. "Right," she said. "We're all the dupes in here. Just a bunch of ragtag misfits against the evil bastards who broke 'em."

"I'd watch that movie," Tae Joon said slowly.

Anita let out a breathy chuckle. "Alright, what do you want?" she said wryly. 

Tae Joon squirmed a little. "Information. Back in your... your army days," he began warily, watching Anita stiffen. "Did you ever deal with the covert ops division? Maybe intelligence?"

"I was just boots on the ground, sorry Tae. We found something, we sent it back, but I never knew where it went. What's it matter, anyway? The old firm's not exactly still in business."

Tae Joon shrugged. "The Games are not that old, and I've heard... things. And the things they're doing don't seem like a brand new idea, not something they could set up and implement so quickly. I figure maybe they've repurposed some old sites."

Anita looked uncomfortable. Tae Joon understood... it was one thing to believe in a cause and then another to find out how grey the whole thing actually was. Anita was strong and capable and loyal, but she wasn't pig-headed. She wasn't stupid. And she had questions. 

"I'm sorry, I know a lot of people have a hard time talking about..."

Anita shook her head. "Don't. It's fine, its-"

She was interrupted by the door to the workshop creaking open and Ajay stepping inside. 

"Hey," she said, shutting the door behind herself. "Renee said you wanted me?"

Tae Joon nodded. Anita greeted Ajay with a small lifting of her hand.

"How is Octavio doing?" Tae Joon asked.

Ajay snorted and rolled her eyes. "We've put him in a bar and told him that he won't get kicked out, no matter what. Elliott's already lost two busboys and a bouncer."

Tae Joon shrugged. Good enough. "I wanted to ask about Eve. How do you think she got those injuries?"

Anita huffed out a breath. "Hazard a guess I'd say someone hit her, Park," she cut in.

Tae Joon raised an eyebrow at her. "So would I," he said, his voice dry but still friendly. "But I'm not a medic." His mind flashed back to his very first match, the petite healer standing over him with her hands on her hips, asking him if he was as his splintered ribs shifted in his side. 

Ajay smiled warmly at him. She was clearly sharing the same thought. "Might be that someone hurt her, but, her leg..."

"What about it?"

"Had these scrapes on it, like scuffs, likes she dragged it against something climbing."

"Climbing?" Tae Joon asked. 

"You don't trust her, do you?" Anita asked. "I mean, I don't either, but you seem sure that she's playing us."

Tae Joon pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you thought I was getting too close to the truth, wouldn't you send someone to put me back in my place? I've been thinking a lot about this plan of theirs, letting me into their Games, making me another one of their legends. They shouldn't have done so. They made a mistake." 

Anita frowned. "They don't really do that," she said. 

Tae Joon nodded. "Sure. But now, all they can do is keep the lie going. Mila is far too useful to them for them to kill me, and she's the only thing between me telling the truth to the entire Outlands and my silence. Thing is... If I died, if Crypto died, people would notice. For all my scowling and moodiness in the ring, turns out even I have fans. I have merchandise. And the Syndicate isn't so stupid to think that if I died everything I know about them would come out, and the platform I have now is big enough to ruin them."

Anita smirked, her eyes lighting up. "The platform they built for you," she said.

"Exactly."

She punched him on the arm. "How about that? Score one for the misfits."

"Still not getting what this has to do with Eve, though," Ajay said warily. 

Tae Joon bit his lip. "Me neither. I was certain that it was all an act to get our sympathy and make us believe her." 

"You said she had a son, though," Anita said. "Even if she is playing us, she might not have a choice."

"I know," Tae Joon said, running a hand through his hair. "I need to talk to her again, but I have no idea how to even go about it."

"Where even is she?" Ajay asked. Then she held up her hands. "Unless you can't say."

"She's on Solace," Tae Joon said. "Elliott has a contact who is keeping the ship safe for us, and she's been staying there."

Anita folded her arms. "So let me get this straight. This woman may or may not be working for the enemy, and you're letting her stay in our base of operations?"

Tae Joon looked up to the ceiling. "She's not alone. And there's no way to communicate with anyone outside of the ship, and the people I know can be sure of that. If anything she's... our prisoner."

Ajay took a small step back. "I really don't love how that sounds."

Tae Joon swallowed. "Me neither. But... she's there willingly, she believes she is safer there."

"This things barely even started and already we've got a hostage," Anita said, hands on her hips as she shook her head.

"If there was another way," Tae Joon protested.

Anita dug the toe of her boot into the floor. "Not like the other side is going to play nice, is it? Look, I'm gonna head out. Think I'll go down to the range and take some of my frustrations out on the training dummies. Keep me posted, yeah?"

"Of course."

When it was just Tae Joon and Ajay left behind, she wandered over to her own station and looked down at the mess that covered the table there.

"Are you alright?" Tae Joon asked.

"Honestly?" she said, turning to face him. "No. They're trying to kill my best friend and he's hiding in plain sight and he's alone, Tae, and this is becomin' too real and I'm so frightened of what's comin'." 

Guilt overwhelmed Tae Joon. "Ajay, I am so sorry, for everything. If I'd never have come here, you wouldn't have to-" He sighed. "I'm just sorry."

When he looked up at Ajay, she was furious. Tae Joon couldn't remember ever having seen a look of such pure anger on her face, and it was directed squarely at him. He flinched, bracing himself.

"If you hadn't a come here," she began voice wavering with rage, "my best friend woulda been dead in a year." She was moving closer to him at the same rate he was shrinking back. "That daft robot would be on a scrapheap somewhere. Don't you ever let me hear you apologise for any of this ever again." Her voice was terrifying. Tae Joon swallowed, his throat sticking. "We all signed up for this, even if we didn't really know what it was we were signin' up for, so all that guilt you got in there," she said, poking him in the chest. "You just let it go. You've got work to do."

She stormed out then, and Tae Joon wasn't sure if he'd been chastised or praised or both. 

-

Elliott came by a little later on, when he and the others had returned from their interviews. Tae Joon had been pacing about nervously for far too long, and then, about ten minutes before Elliott actually showed, he told himself to get the hell over it. It was stupid to feel ashamed or guilty about being excited to see him, to be near him, and that feeling wasn't going anywhere just because it bothered him. His feelings for Elliott were not something he could just cut away, and frankly, it was about damn time he learned to live with them. The thought made him laugh, to think that his brain had only supplied this after all of the pining then their time together and now their unhappy separation. Tae Joon was usually one for efficiency, but this time he had been far too slow.

Elliott didn't help matters by turning up looking just the tired side of all dressed up. He was suited and booted, his hair just starting to droop after the trials of the day, and he seemed painfully, almost shamefully aware of this as he stepped through the door.

"Sorry," he said, keeping a good five feet of space between them. "Makoa said you needed to talk to me, and I would have changed but I wasn't sure if it was an emergency or not." 

Tae Joon frowned at Elliott, but his mind was oddly calm. He felt as though he had had a hundred different voices coming at him over the last few days, and they were all trying to take care off all the different worries he had. It should have been too much, too overwhelming, but instead it seemed to have gotten right down to the root of him, to the part of him that had been coping through several kinds of hell since the day he could walk. Everything inside of him, the good and the bad, felt more balanced than it had for a while. The rushing of blood and the pounding of his heart when he looked at Elliott was just a part of him now, and realising that made it easier to think. 

"It's not an emergency," Tae Joon assured him. Elliott seemed to take in his newfound demeanour and relaxed a little. 

"Good cause you know I'm not much use in those," he said good-naturedly. 

"Doesn't mean it isn't serious, though," Tae Joon said quickly, because in their time together Tae Joon had already learned to recognise the warning signs when Elliott was about to go off on a tangent. 

Elliott cleared his throat. "Ok," he said. "Just tell me what you need."

Tae Joon explained to Elliott everything he and Makoa had discussed, keeping his calm but not being so stilted that it made things feel weird. He was actually feeling quite proud of himself, but as he spoke less and Elliott spoke more, he found his resilience beginning to wane. His longing was starting to creep up on him in six different directions, and he took a small step backwards as Elliott absently began to inch towards him. Elliott stopped dead, looking confused and then apologetic. Tae Joon knew that these things were going to happen, every time they were together, just the two of them, temptation getting in the way. 

"What... what we're you saying?" Tae Joon asked Elliott, shaking his head slightly to clear it. 

Elliott blinked a few times. "Right... um..." he said, one hand on his hip as the other ran across the back of his neck. "Just, anything like that mom would never have kept. Once she... Once she started getting sick, she started getting scared of what she might say, you know? Might forget where she was and say the wrong thing to the wrong person. She didn't want stuff like that around her anyway. She always... Well, I'm not saying she was denying it or anything, but the war wasn't part of her work. It just... was. She didn't like to think about it, especially when the others -" Elliott took a deep breath. "Thing is, mom didn't have much at the end. She'd just moved to one of those places where a nice nurse in a pastel uniform has a key to your apartment and comes to check on you every morning, you know?"

Elliott sounded bitter as he folded his arms across his chest. "When I went back there after the funeral I went through everything she had. Pictures and letters and stuff, but even I would have noticed some scary looking war documents." 

Tae Joon sagged and leant against his work table. "Do you know anywhere we could get something like that?"

Elliott tilted his head to the side, pursing his lips in thought. "Would have thought you knew where to get them, aren't you supposed to be some sort of hacker or something?"

Tae Joon rolled his eyes fondly. "Or something," he muttered. "There's an old HQ back on Solace, near Mystik's hideout. It's not as armed-guards-with-machine-guns as it used to be, but there's no way we can just walk in through the front door. Hacking the place is doable but," Tae Joon sighed heavily, "it's going to take some time."

Elliott looked as though he were wresting with some small, inner turmoil. "Maybe you can't just walk in," he said finally. "But I can."

Tae Joon was watching Elliott carefully. He was starting to grow pink in the cheeks. "What's the matter?"

Elliott let out a heavy breath. "Technically, yeah, I was enlisted, but I mostly stayed back helping mom with the kits for like three weeks until artillery hit our camp and I got a face full of shrapnel. Then I went back home. Don't get me wrong, I milked it dry, showed off my battle scars to get a little under the clothes action because, you know, I was like thirteen, so I was happy just to be in the presence of a boob, but..." Elliott trailed off, his cheeks crimson, but Tae Joon was still trying to comprehend the most important word in his ramblings. 

"Thirteen?" he said hoarsely. 

Elliott looked at him as though he were stupid. "Well, yeah," he said, as though he still didn't understand why Tae Joon sounded so horrified. For his part, Tae Joon felt his love for Elliott magnify. His every impulse was to hold him and kiss him and make him safe, and it was hard going to push those feelings down. 

In the end, he felt he had no choice but to brush past it. Acknowledging it would send them both so many steps back, being as they were both alone and every impulse Tae Joon had was screaming at him to make Elliott feel good. He wanted to undress him, to taste him and love him so much that the horror went away.

But when he looked up, Elliott was watching him, looking tense and upset, like he wanted to reach out too, like he needed to. Like he needed him.

He swallowed. "You have access to the place though?" he said, his voice shaking. 

"Yeah, probably," Elliott replied, and the longing in his voice was so much.

Tae Joon took a breath. Ignoring it was one thing, but the air had somehow become charged all around them, their breath short. "We'll figure it out later. You should go."

"Tae..." Elliott said, moving closer, and Tae Joon could see that Elliott had already given in. He felt himself buckle. 

"Elliott," he whispered, but it was too late. Elliott was on him in a moment, lips and teeth and hands and Tae Joon didn't even try to resist.

"I..." Elliott said, gasping as his hands found their way beneath Tae Joon's shirt.

Tae Joon was frantic, pulling at Elliott's clothes, desperate to see the skin beneath, to feel it once again. He didn't care, for all that it was terrible, he just wanted and needed so much it hurt, and he pressed his lips to Elliott's throat. 

Elliott ran his hands up Tae Joon's back, a whimper escaping him as Tae Joon's hand moved lower. Tae Joon had forgotten what they were talking about, where they were, and as Elliott's hands found the waistband of his jeans he realised that he couldn't ever be trusted to be alone with him. Elliott would always be his weakness and he sank to his knees and took everything Elliott had to give, gratefully, willingly wantonly, hating and loving all at once, his mind a war zone as Elliott choked out his name. 

Tae Joon drew back, ashamed and angry, his skin aflame as Elliott dragged him back up, kissing him bitterly, his hands in Tae Joon's hair. 

"I can't do this," Elliott whispered his voice low and broken. "I can't."

Tae Joon moved against him, a whimper escaping where he met the delicious friction of Elliott's hip. Elliott held him close, burying his face in the crook of Tae Joon's neck. 

"I know," Tae Joon said, his rhythm building, and there were tears in his eyes as he cried out, and he hated it, he hated everything, he hated Elliott for having this hold over him and he hated himself for being so weak. 

Tae Joon was used to Elliott's arms around him afterwards, and he had to pull away, to deny himself that comfort. He felt disgusting, the evidence of his lapse uncomfortable in his clothes, his lips throbbing with the memory of Elliott between them. He scrambled away, both men still heaps on the floor, and hid his face. 

"I'm-"

Elliott got up, shakily rearranging himself. "Please don't say you're sorry," he whispered. 

Tae Joon looked at him through tear-swollen lashes. "You should go."

Elliott nodded, looking miserable and ashamed, and then he left, leaving Tae Joon alone in the echoing silence of the workshop, dirty and broken.

-

He felt like a criminal. It was stupid, but sleeping with Elliott had left him feeling wrong and guilty. He had been feeling so much better, too, he thought angrily as he hunched over his table, hands curled over the edges, his head bowed. He had started to accept things the way they were, he and Elliott were even in a good place, even if it wasn't a happy one, and Elliott had been so amazing, so understanding about the whole thing, and there was no need for Tae Joon to screw it up the way he just had. He found he couldn't blame Elliott the way he blamed himself. Elliott was the one being pulled in every direction by his selfishness, and he had tried so hard to be kind even as Tae Joon had sat beside him and broken his heart. What they had just done had tainted everything between them now. He wanted to find Elliott, to talk to him and find out if what they had was ruined, but he was far too much of a coward to find out. He took a deep breath. 

His drone was laying on the table in front of him, the casing off. He needed to get out of there. The uncomfortable truth was that he needed to have a shower and clean up. He opened the door and collided painfully with the solid frame of Pathfinder, falling to the ground with a teeth-clattering thump.

"Oh, I am sorry, friend!" Pathfinder said, leaning down and helping Tae Joon up so harshly that he almost felt his shoulder dislocate. 

Tae Joon felt flushed as he pulled his t-shirt down as far as it would go to cover himself. "It's alright," he said, aching. 

Pathfinder's screen flickered before returning to its usual, smiling face. "I have been speaking to friend Makoa," he said happily. "I have an idea!" He sounded so proud of himself, his voice coming out with just a hint of slyness to it, as though he had learned to be shrewd and sneaky from the old movies and TV shows he loved to watch, which probably wasn't too far from the truth.

Tae Joon wanted to leave, he wanted to hide in the shower for a while and remember everything that Elliott had made him forget with just one damn look. But that was just it, he snapped at himself. Whatever Pathfinder had to say, even if it wasn't useful, that was what he was supposed to be doing. That was what he was supposed to be concentrating on, and not the urge to wash away the truth, that he had no self-control, that he was too selfish and stupid to behave himself. He stepped back and let Pathfinder stoop through the door to the workshop. 

"What were you thinking?" Tae Joon asked, his eyes fixed on the screen at Pathfinder's chest to keep them wandering over to the spot on the floor just a few feet away. 

"I think I am a door," Pathfinder said. Tae Joon was momentarily jolted from his misery. 

"A door?"

Pathfinder nodded and held up a finger. "A door to your sister, and through me you can make sure it is her on the other side. When you lied to me last time," he continued, his matter-of-fact tone making Tae Joon wince, "you used me to get into the Syndicate's computers, yes? If your sister does the same things you do, one of those computers must be hers."

Tae Joon had gone from weary to confused to astounded in a moment. Pathfinder was right. He had the key, it would be possible to use Pathfinder's access to send something through. He would be hopefully be able to tell which files were the ones Mila had been working on, and add his own to the pile. He would recognise her style anywhere, it was practically his after all, except, he thought with a very familiar pang of envy and pride, better. 

"You haven't spoken for fifty-two seconds, friend," Pathfinder said simply.

Tae Joon suddenly came back to reality. "Sorry.... thinking," he muttered. "But you're right. Pathfinder, you're a genius. Are you sure you don't mind?"

Pathfinder's screen flashed up with little pink hearts. "I did say all you had do was ask," he said happily. 

-

It was getting late by the time Tae Joon had returned to his room and gotten in the shower, his brief elation from his meeting with Pathfinder already giving way to shame and regret as he toweled his hair. There was a knock at the door and Tae Joon, wearing just a pair of loose pyjama bottoms, opened it without thinking.

"Oh, screw you," Elliott said, his eyes clearly no longer listening to his brain as they roamed all over.

Tae Joon's mouth fell open slightly and he turned to grab his t-shirt from his bed, pulling it on quickly. 

"Elliott? What do you want?" he asked in surprise. Elliott was still in the hall and Tae Joon was pretty much as far away from him as he could get without being in a different room. 

Elliott didn't move. 

Tae Joon shouted at himself in his own mind to pull it together and nodded at Elliott to enter his room.

"Got a plan," Elliott said. The unspoken words between them were almost solid, and Tae Joon was having difficulty looking past them.

Tae Joon waited. Elliott was definitely not looking at him now as he moved into the room, perching against Tae Joon's desk as Tae Joon himself went and sat on his bed. 

"Alright," Tae Joon said slowly. 

Elliott looked a little out of his depth. "You gotta tell me if it sounds stupid," he said, his ears turning pink. 

"You know I will," Tae Joon replied in what he had come to think of as Crypto's voice.

Elliott's mouth quirked a little at the corners. "Ok, so, and this is not something I feel good about, but what if I go, you know, to the HQ, all charm and grieving son, and ask to see my mom's old records?" 

Tae Joon frowned. "It won't be that easy, you know that, and we can't send anything relating to your mother, that's too obvious."

"No, no I know, I get that, but while I'm there, you'll be there too for, you know, moral support or whatever, and we can explain the drone away as you just being really, really weird." Elliott had finally managed to meet his eyes, but his hands were clamped tightly against Tae Joon's desk.

"My drone?" Tae Joon asked.

Elliott rolled his eyes. "For a genius you're actually kinda stupid. Yes, your drone. Could you grab their files the same way you took the holo ones from my computer? I mean, that stuff has Syndicate level protection and you managed to get it; don't think the other guys have anything even half as good."

Tae Joon stood up. "Perhaps," he said. "But it's so risky. I mean, why would I be with you, of all people?"

Elliott held up his hands. "Look, the bad guys here, the Syndicate, yeah, they've got eyes on any angle we play but out there, in the real world?" He made a sweeping gesture. "I really don't think they care. Some tired security grunt certainly won't give a damn about who I show up with, got no need to think that something's going on. We're kinda the scrappy underdogs here Tae, foolproof plans and better resources are for other people."

Tae Joon relented. "You're right," he sighed.

Elliott grinned. "I love it when you say that."

It was just a joke, something to lighten the mood, but instead Tae Joon's thoughts were pulled back to the workshop, to what they had done, and he could see that Elliott was thinking the same thing. 

"We don't need to talk about it," Elliott said quickly.

Tae Joon breathed out heavily through his nose. "What would we even say?"

Elliott straightened up, folding his arms loosely, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "It was... I was just..." Elliott gave up . "Like I said, we don't have to."

"Don't we? Don't you think this whole thing is just... ridiculous?" Tae Joon asked, his voice high. 

"No..." Elliott said softly. "Wait, you think this is ridiculous?"

Tae Joon tossed his head. "You know that's not what I meant. I meant this... situation. It's so screwed up and we did that all on our own. It's just so... unnecessary." Tae Joon's anger at himself was starting to leak out into his words, but he didn't seem able to stop it. "This should never have happened, Elliott. We should never have happened."

Elliott looked hurt and angry. "I'm starting to get that," he said, his voice hard. "I guess I misunderstood. All those times I was near you, hearing you talk, watching you work, aching, all the times I had to miss you. All that time I wasted with you on my mind, I didn't realise that it was unnecessary. I didn't realise that my feelings were only inconvenient cause the whole time I thought they were killing me!" 

Tae Joon held out a hand. "Elliott, no, don't... It's just, I was selfish to let you in. I should have known I couldn't keep you."

"How many times are we gonna have this conversation, Tae? You want me, I want you, but this isn't the time. I get it. But I hate it. And it hurts, and sometimes I'm gonna be stupid, I'm gonna give in and do things I shouldn't, and I'm gonna hate you a little bit and I'm never going to walk away. You're right, this is ridiculous, but if you think I could be standing here right now, feeling the way I do about you and you didn't know, you're wrong. I couldn't, I was a mess, I was confused and angry cause mom was gone and I wanted you but I thought it wasn't real, it was grief, but you... Tae... you.. " Elliott stopped talking, his eyes wet with angry tears. "I thought I was lying to myself about you to distract myself from the pain. I thought, when I kissed you that first time, that I was a monster. But then you said the things you did, and I... even though I knew the truth about everything, I couldn't walk away, I needed you to numb the pain. But then I guess I realised I just needed... you." He looked at Tae Joon.

Tae Joon felt numb. He had suspected as much, at first. He had been certain, because Elliott had no reason to want him for him. "You... leave, please."

Elliott moved at once, but instead of heading towards the door he went to Tae Joon instead. 

"Tae," he said. 

"Don't," Tae Joon said. He felt dirty. 

"I think you're misunderstanding me," Elliott said. "I told you all that because I want you to know that was what I was afraid of. I was scared but it isn't true. It was never true. I want you to believe me when I tell you that I'm not going to be able to stop breaking this, to stop messing up. When it comes to you, I'm a mess, a willing, useless screw up because you're it, Tae. You're it for me."

Tae Joon looked at him, moving back. 

"You can't... you can't keep saying these things, Elliott."

Elliott blinked. "What?"

"Because when you do I realise... We're not really apart, are we? We can say we are, we can sleep in our own beds and keep our hands to ourselves, but like you said, this conversation keeps happening over and over because we're not supposed to finish it, and the thing in the workshop, we can say it was a lapse, say it won't happen again but it will, we know it will. I... I know what you mean - about being scared. I worried sometimes that I was only with you because it made me forget for a little while, but I never really believed that. I never wanted to forget. I had to remember, to keep going, and you made me forget, Elliott." 

Elliott closed his eyes. His whole body tensed up before he spoke again. 

"We never should have happened," he whispered, his voice breathy with understanding. "Ok." He ran his hand through his hair. "No more talking, no more... lapses. No more answering the door tople-" He paused. "No more making jokes about it." Elliott looked away, guilty. "I don't think I can ever just be friends with you, but I shouldn't have come by the other night, all that stupid, waiting for you talk. It was all true, don't get me wrong, but it was a dick move. Can't seem to stop myself from showing up on your radar, and I'm being an ass cause I don't want you to forget about me. I should have just left it alone. I just... I don't know. I didn't want you to hate me."

"I don't," Tae Joon said. "But what happened earlier, and this?" he said, gesturing between the two of them. "It can't happen again. I've been broken all day, useless, and we're supposed to be figuring out this plan, dangerous as it is, and we need clear heads for that. So next time... next time we feel like we can give in, one of us has to be strong. You, me, whoever can handle it the best in the moment." He looked at Elliott. "I need to bring Mila home."

Elliott let out a small breath of air. "Alright, yeah. I mean, yes. Ok." Elliott leaned back against the desk again. "Lets draw a line under this. Let's talk about the plan."

-

It was lucky really that Elliott always had a good reason to go back to Solace. His bar was his second home, and no one would have any questions about why he was heading back there, he made the trip so often. After a night's rest, he and Tae Joon headed to the port and made their way over, waylaid every step by fans and admirers, having to play up their status to maintain their cover. Elliott had been right; the fact that they were travelling together really didn't mean much to anyone, they were too star struck to be suspicious. For the benefit of any eyes that might be on them, they headed for the bar first. 

Tae Joon had never actually been inside it, he had only spent one cramped, uncomfortable night sleeping in the lot beneath it, but he thought he knew what to expect. However, as he stepped through the doors into the loud, neon interior, he had to admit that perhaps he hadn't stretched his imagination far enough. 

The place was empty, it was too early for anyone to be there, but still thumping music echoed through the place, strobe lights flashed and danced, and, in what he could only assume was karma finally catching up with him, Elliott was everywhere.

The decoys were different to the ones Elliott sent out in the ring, and reminded him more of the ones he had seen on Elliott's ridiculous party boat, like recordings playing on a loop. Some were dressed in the familiar yellow jumpsuit, but others were dressed in a casual shirt rolled up at the sleeves, a black apron tied at their waist. There was one by the door dressed in a tux, complete with bow tie, standing against a small podium like a head waiter. He shook his head as Elliott let out a growl of frustration next to him.

"Damn it, Octavio!" he shouted.

A shock of messy black hair popped up behind the bar, and Octavio grinned when he saw them, vaulting over the counter. 

"Hey, amigoes!" he said, his voice a little manic. 

"Bit early to get started, isn't it?" Elliott complained as he made his way behind the bar, opening a small hatch behind it and flipping some switches. The music died and the decoys fizzled into nothing. 

"Haven't been to bed yet, compadre," Octavio said, hopping from foot to foot as he approached Tae Joon. "Hey man, how's it going?"

Tae Joon opened his mouth to answer but Octavio had already sped away, metallic feet clacking noisily on the tiled floor. 

Elliott turned back around, leaning his hands on the counter. "Slow down, man," he said.

Octavio grinned at him. "What show you been watching, Ell?" he said, still bouncing as Tae Joon gave up and slid into a booth. He'd made the rookie mistake of trying to keep up with Octavio once, and he knew better now. 

Elliott ran a hand over his face. "Fair enough," he muttered. "You, uh, you doing ok?" Elliott asked redundantly. 

Octavio laughed again. "All good man all good. Say Tae, do your friends take turns sharing the stick up their asses or do they get issued with one when they join the paranoid hacker squad?" 

"The stick is mostly ceremonial," Tae Joon dead panned. Octavio let out another howl of laughter, and even Elliott let out a small, breathy chuckle. 

Of course, they weren't really his friends. They were contacts he had made during his time working towards the Games, people he offered his help to knowing that one day he would need to call in every favour, even if that favour was babysitting a manic ex-Legend or making sure that some old rust bucket had all its signals blocked, in and out, no questions asked. 

"Don't get me wrong, Ell, you know I love the joint, but how much longer do I have to stay here?" Octavio drummed his hands on his thighs, looking anxious. 

Elliott shrugged. "Don't look at me, I'm just following the doctor's orders."

Both men noticed the shift in Octavio. "How's she doing?" he asked. 

"She's Ajay," Elliott replied with a wry smile. "Mostly she's kicking all our asses and holding us together."

"Yeah," Octavio said lightly. "She's good at that."

"But she worries about you," Tae Joon cut in, remembering Ajay's minor freak out in the workshop. "It would be of great relief to her if we could return and tell her you are doing well."

Octavio rolled his shoulders. "Yeah ok, no sweat compadre." He sighed. "Guess I should try and get some sleep." He winked at Elliott. "Party starts again at sunset."

-

The HQ was just a building, nestled among so many others just like it, not too far from the broken building Elliott had taken Tae Joon to where he had finally spoken the truth after so many months of lies. He was grimly aware of the tension that remained between the two of them, but he followed his own advice and pushed it down. 

They walked up to the building, Tae Joon's heart racing in his chest. He'd never done it this way before, in plain sight, letting those he was planning to steal from see his face. 

He also recognised the change in Elliott's demeanour. Elliott had been stowed away, and the bored looking guard at the front desk was about to come face to face with Mirage. 

"Hey, buddy," he said smoothly, striding up and leaning across the counter. Tae Joon held back, trying to take a leaf from Elliott's book and affecting his Crypto persona, arranging his face into an expression of bored indifference. 

"Hey, I know you," the guard said, sitting up a little straighter in their chair, and as Tae Joon noticed the tiny spark of excitement in the guard's eyes, he knew they had them. 

"I should hope so," Elliott said with a winning smile. 

"I know you, too," he said to Tar Joon, but their tone was far less enthusiastic. 

Tae Joon rolled his eyes and looked over to Elliott, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Can we go?" he said pointedly. 

Elliott let out a long suffering sigh. "Won't take a minute. Just go sit over there," he said, waving his hand at an overstuffed chair near the door. Tae Joon huffed and threw his drone into the air before pulling out the controls and sitting down. 

"Hey, he shouldn't have that in here," the guard protested. 

Elliott turned his smile on the guard once more. "Relax, it's not Apex issue. You think they let us take that stuff out of the ring? He's just... easily bored. He's like a little kid, and wouldn't you know, I left his video games at home. It's just a toy, don't sweat it."

Tae Joon huffed out a breath and flew his drone threateningly close to Elliott, who swatted his hands at it.

"Anyway," Elliott continued, leaning over the counter to peer at the guard's nametag, "Toni. I was wondering, you think maybe you could do your old pal Mirage a solid?"

Tae Joon watched out of the corner of his eye, flying his drone up close to the ceiling, knowing that he needed to get close to the guard's computer. 

"Well, sure," the guard said, their voice soft. "I mean, maybe."

"Toni, Toni, don't you worry. I just wanted to see... well, ah, you're gonna think it's stupid." Elliott straightened up, looking away.

"No... go on," Toni said, leaning forward. Tae Joon had to bite his lip to keep himself from grinning. Elliott really did have that effect on everyone. 

"It's just... I was in the neighbourhood and saw this place and I guess it just hit me. About, you know, my mom." Tae Joon had to admit that the catch in his throat was a nice touch. "I just wanted to look at some of her stuff, you know, the stuff we worked on together, for old time's sake."

Toni shifted back in their chair. "I, um, I'm really sorry Mr. Witt but I don't think I can do that," they said guiltily. Tae Joon moved his drone closer as Elliott glanced over at him, giving him a small nod. 

Elliott sighed. "No, that's ok, I get it," he said earnestly, leaning close. Toni only seemed to have eyes for Elliott, and he risked laying a hand gently over theirs. "Really, like I said, it was stupid."

Tae Joon moved his drone closer as Elliott made puppy dog eyes at the besotted guard. He engaged the scan, and Elliott moved even closer, sighing softly.

"I was real sorry to hear about her passing," Toni said gently.

"Thanks, and hey, I'm sorry for putting this on you." Tae Joon signalled his drone back, a note to Elliott that he had what he needed and it was time to wrap things up.

Elliott straightened up, taking back his hand. "Thanks a lot, Toni," he said smoothly. "And hey, anytime you wanna stop by the Lounge, I'll let them know you're drinking for free."

He gave Toni a parting wink and turned to Tae Joon. "Come on grumpy," he said.

Tae Joon got up and followed him to the door. 

"Hey, wait a minute!" Toni called out as Elliott pulled the door wide.

Both men froze, sharing the thought that it really had been too easy. They turned back to the guard.

"Can I have your autograph?" Toni asked Elliott breathlessly.

-

The journey back to the complex was a silent one. Tae Joon busied himself looking through the data he had managed to gather through his drone, but the small screen of the cube couldn't really tell him much. Elliott was just staring into nothingness, and despite everything, Tae Joon longed to ask him if he was ok. He held his tongue, however. No matter how much of an act it had been, speaking about his mother would definitely have stirred something inside Elliott, and Tae Joon knew from experience that he would be aching for some comfort. In that moment, Tae Joon knew he was the stronger one.

When they got back to the complex, Elliott hesitated at the door, but Tae Joon said he needed to look through the files and see which one would be best suited to take his own secret code. Then he left, hating that he couldn't ask Elliott if he was ok, that he couldn't give any kind of sympathy to him even though it would have nothing to do with them, and hoping so much that Elliott wouldn't have too much trouble sleeping that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, that was almost smutty for a second there.
> 
> You all continue to floor me with the comments and kudos, thank you.


	12. Chapter 12

"Will I have to go to sleep again?" 

Tae Joon finished hooking his computer into the ports in Pathfinder's chest. "Yes, for a little while, but it's for your own safety, Pathfinder." Tae Joon tapped away on his keyboard. Pathfinder was standing next to him, arms stiffly at his sides near Tae Joon's space, while a little way away Natalie sat on her interceptor, watching with interest. Bloodhound was walking around, fascinated by all the gadgetry and personal touches they found. The workshop wasn't somewhere they often frequented; their kit wasn't much, easily maintained with a toolkit small enough to slip in a pocket, and though they admired and respected their fellow legends, joining them occasionally in a more social context, everyone knew that Bloodhound preferred to keep to themselves. The workshop was a place of solace for the others, it held an almost reverent atmosphere of escape, a place where they could get their hands dirty, shucking off the personas they had to wear in the ring and Bloodhound, whose entire space was their own escape, preferred not to intrude. Too many energies in one area could stifle it and upset the balance, but Bloodhound was still very perceptive, and had felt the anxiety coming from Tae Joon in waves. When it was possible, Tae Joon wanted as many people around him as he could, and it seemed that Bloodhound was only too happy to oblige.

"Alright, friend." Pathfinder glanced around at the others. Natalie gave him a little wave and he waved back. Bloodhound was inspecting Tae Joon's drone, hands behind their back and they turned towards Pathfinder. 

"Do not be nervous, Pathfinder. I have faith in all who are here." 

Pathfinder nodded. "I cannot feel nervous, but I think I've figured out how to simulate a close approximation." He paused thoughtfully. "I don't like it."

Tae Joon laughed softly. "I'll be as quick as I can, I promise."

"I trust you, friend."

Getting in was a lot faster than last time, Tae Joon repeating the same steps he had before. He ran his search programme, eyes fixed on the screen as Natalie hopped off her pylon to come and peer over his shoulder. 

"Looks complicated," she said. Tae Joon fixed his eyes on the files his programme was digging up, scanning them, looking for some telltale sign that Mila had been rooting around inside the code.

"It is, I suppose... I- oh, this one-" Tae Joon began frantically tapping away on his keyboard, slotting a drive into the side of his computer. A few more taps and a green bar appeared on the screen, informing him of the progress of the upload. "I'd recognise the handiwork anywhere." It was amazing how relieving it was to just find some small sign of his sister, some proof other than the word of a person he could hardly trust that she was still alive. It wasn't anything like getting her home, but it was enough for now. 

"Nearly done," he said, but Pathfinder was all but shut down and couldn't hear him. Bloodhound and Natalie watched, the air fraught with tension as the little green bar ticked steadily upwards. 

"You are certain she will find this?" Bloodhound asked. 

Tae Joon shook his head. "There is no way to be certain. But it is my best shot."

-

The only problem was that the next match was ten days away, and Mila's reply, assuming she got his message and managed to encode some of the fake files the Syndicate was using to placate Tae Joon, could only be found in the arena. He felt restless and trapped, the situation with Elliott simmering underneath everything. His solution of making sure there was always someone around to make him keep himself in check was working, but it was also so difficult. Tae Joon had no problem admitting that he had great affection for the others, he would defend them to the death, but he was still at heart a creature of solitude, and he found himself feeling tense and false with each moment he imposed upon their company. He knew it must have been obvious what he was doing, but at least for their part the others were understanding. 

There was also the fact that the whole complex had a strange atmosphere. There were always people around who weren't legends, employees of the Syndicate, so they were limited in what they could say in some places, and on the days when Isaac came by with news and orders, everyone was so tightly wound Tae Joon was surprised they didn't give the game away just through their demeanour.

They got by, did the things they always had and tried to keep life as much business as usual as possible. With such a large gap until the next match, a few of them even went off site for a few days, Makoa as he usually did, and Ajay went to see Octavio and see how the kid was doing for herself. Pathfinder was no worse off from Tae Joon's work, and in fact seemed quite happy to have been so helpful. Tae Joon still had so many questions about Pathfinder, about why he was the way he was, and what the Syndicate had hoped to gain by creating an AI unlike anything he had ever seen before. But that was curiosity, and regardless of where he came from Pathfinder was his ally now, hell, he was his friend, and that was all he needed to know for now. 

Still, he wasn't entirely unsurprised when Pathfinder came to him a few days later as he stood in the kitchen, grabbing some water before planning to go and hole himself up in his room again for the rest of the day. 

"Hi Path," he said as Pathfinder stood stiffly in front of him, his screen blank. "Everything ok?"

Pathfinder tilted his head to one side. "Is there anything else I can do to help?" he asked.

Tae Joon regarded him curiously. "Not at the moment - but thank you for offering." He waited for the MRVN to move, but Pathfinder remained where he was, blocking Tae Joon's way into the hall. "Is there something the matter?" he asked. 

"I think I may be a liability," he said plainly, but he still took the smallest step backwards. "If the Syndicate made me, perhaps they can control me, and I noticed that you all have weapons training coming up, which means they will be giving me a new update." 

Tae Joon sighed. Without Elliott there to make an inappropriate comment, Tae Joon had to supply it himself in his own mind when he said "I've been inside you twice now Path, I don't think your AI works like that." He smiled at the robot. "Your personality matrix is separate from your memories and, well, I don't think they can even change it. I couldn't. Best I could do is remove it all together. Not that I would," he added quickly when an exclamation mark popped up on Pathfinder's screen. 

"Thank you friend. Elliott was right, I should have come to you first. I feel much better now." Pathfinder gave him a stiff thumbs up.

"You went to Elliott with this?" he asked before he could stop himself. He and Elliott had truly committed to avoiding each other to the point where they weren't even trying to hide it any more. If Elliott walked into a room Tae Joon was in he turned around and walked straight back out again. It was awkward and tense, and everyone had noticed but they said nothing and Tae Joon really didn't have the energy to go through it all again. He was tired of explaining his mistakes before making them all over again, and tired of being forgiven. It just made it easier to screw up, to not keep himself in check as much as he needed to, and he didn't want to talk to Elliott or even be near him. Right now everything hurt, seeing Elliott made him feel worse, and he knew he had much the same effect on Elliott. He was actually impressed with how easy it had been to compartmentalize everything. If he had needed Elliott's help, he was certain that he could keep his cool and keep focussed, but casually speaking to the man was out of the question and it was just easier not to do it. It didn't feel good inside and he knew he was burying himself in denial but at least, he thought privately, it was working for now. 

"Elliott said I could always go to him for things like this. He's my best friend after all."

-

The next day he was sitting in his room, staring at his computer and hoping that somehow Mila could get a message for him in a way that meant he didn't have to set foot back in the ring, knowing how unlikely that truly was. There was nothing from her, however, but that didn't mean to say that there was nothing at all.

He scanned through the message quickly before slamming his fist on the desk. "Idiot," he hissed under his breath, before grabbing his laptop and bolting from his room, coming to a stop only when he was outside of Ajay's door. He hammered on it with the flat of his closed fist, attracting the attention of Renee, who's room was just across the hall.

Ajay opened the door with a wrench, not usually one to take such rudeness in her stride. 

"What the hell's all this racket?" she demanded when she saw Tae Joon standing in front of her, Renee just over his shoulder, leaning against her doorframe. 

"Octavio," Tae Joon said in a low voice. 

Ajay's eyes went wide. "Is he alright?" she asked quickly. 

"For now," Tae Joon said, but his voice shook with anger. Ajay folded her arms. 

"What's he done now?" Ajay stepped aside to let Tae Joon into her room, with a quick jut of her chin to Renee to let her know that she might as well follow. 

Ajay's room was the epitome of cosy. Every piece of furniture seemed to have been selected for how soft and squishy it was, and everything was warm and pastel coloured. The bright red drum kit in the corner of the room was almost a jarring shock in the decor. Ajay pointed to the large, mint green sofa and Tae Joon sat down. He balanced his laptop on his knees and flipped it open. He tapped away and then turned the screen so Ajay could see it.

She read the message quickly, before balling her hands into fists and slamming them against her side in an almost unconscious mimic of Octavio's own habit. "Idiot," she muttered.

-

Tae amigo! Dont get mad, but I made a little trip to the ship. Had good reasons, don't worry, but I saw Eve there and she looked really sketchy man. So I asked her what was going on, and she got real weird so I just left her to it. Went to check on her again today and she was gone. Sorry man. Don't tell Ajay. 

-

"Why the hell would he do something so stupid?" Tae Joon asked Ajay. 

Ajay, however, was not about to take responsibility for him and shoved her hands on her hips. "I ain't that boy's mother," she snapped. "Though Lord knows he needs one. I don't know why he does half the stupid thing he does, I just pick him back up again when he's finished, for my sins."

"Don't be mad at him," Renee said softly from the door. Her eyes were just clearing of mist, and Ajay and Tae Joon straightened up. Renee looked at Ajay curiously. "The medicine?" she asked, as though she wasn't sure what she was saying.

Ajay's mouth dropped open in shock. "Oh... oh no. I gotta go. I gotta go back and help him." She was already flitting around her room, pulling a large duffel from beneath her bed and pulling out armfulls of clothes from her dresser to stuff into it. 

"Ajay," Tae Joon said, putting a hand on her arm to still her. She pulled away.

"I'm sorry Tae. I can't stay. Tell them... Tell them whateva, I don' care. I never shoulda left him alone. I thought he was alright, I thought he was doing ok. God, how many years and I still fall for the crap that comes outta his mouth." 

Tae Joon swallowed, but it was Renee who came to his rescue. "You should go," she said, silencing Tae Joon with a look when he opened his mouth to argue. "Leave the games and go and help him. But..." She crossed the room slowly, coming to a stop in front of the medic. "Do it slow. Do it right. Octavio's not going anywhere and if you just up and run to him now, well, someone might follow you."

Ajay looked between the pair of them and her shoulders dropped. "He's my best friend," she said in a small voice. 

Renee nodded. "I know." She turned to Tae Joon. "You. You're a pretty much a professional liar. Think of something good, and think of it fast."

-

The next morning all of the other Legends were there to say a very public goodbye to Ajay as she left the Games via the press room. 

Isaac stood at the podium, smiling and clapping in a way that was so cold it was a wonder everyone in the room didn't pick up on it. "Of course, we are all so sorry to see Lifeline go but this remains a happy occasion, and we wish you and Octane all the happiness in the world in your future together." A smattering of applause. "Be sure to send us a postcard from your honeymoon," he concluded with a wink.

Ajay blushed and smiled and waved and then hugged them each in turn, saving Tae Joon for last.

"I'll kill you for this," she said sweetly into his ear.

"I know," he muttered back. 

He hadn't meant for it to play out like this. Originally he had wanted to give a far more noble reason for Ajay's retirement, but she was famous, with legions of fans, and saying that she was going to rescue hapless climbers from mountains or open a free hospital meant that she would actually have to do those things. Eyes would be watching, and if she wanted to stay close to Octavio she needed to have something the public would lap up, and stuff like this always seemed to work. It also meant that Octavio could stray away from the bar under Ajay's watchful eye a little more, she could help him if his withdrawal became too much, and they could both try to figure out what had happened to Eve. 

-

The complex had a strange air about it once the media circus was done. First Octavio, and now Ajay was gone too. Tae Joon had hoped to return to his room and check his messages. He had told Mystik about how Eve had somehow managed to give whoever was supposed to be watching her the slip, and he was hoping that they had somehow caught sight of her. However, Renee caught up with him in the hall.

"Match isn't for a week," she said in a low voice. "We can't keep hanging around so much. I think you need to get into the arena when no one else is there. Tonight, maybe." As usual, she spoke quickly, straight to the point. Tae Joon glanced around and sighed. 

"There's no way I could manage that. The place is far too guarded, and it would take some serious planning to get in."

Renee frowned. "I'll come with you, in and out. The fake files... you said they were at Thermal Station? If we can get close enough to the walls, you know I can get us in."

"It's no good, Renee, they have eyes on the place all the time."

"So... take them down. I know you can." 

Tae Joon wanted to argue, but the fact was that she was making too much sense now. Trying to get into the right place during a match and having time to scan everything to find the file before someone took him out was going to be so difficult, and if he didn't manage it on the first try he would have to wait until the next match to try again. 

"Ok," he said. "Ok. But not tonight. It wouldn't hurt to plan a little." 

Renee breathed out a huff of frustration. "I know. All this sitting around though, it's making me tense. The voices have hardly shut up for days."

Tae Joon's lips parted in shock. "Why didn't you say anything?" 

Renee let out a dark chuckle. "What would be the point? It's just noise, and when I can make sense of it it's all, 'you're in danger'. Too vague to be of any real use." 

Tae Joon shook his head. "Why didn't you say you were suffering?" he pressed. 

Renee looked at him wearily. "Not tryna sound like a martyr here but that's sort of the norm for me. It always hurts." 

Tae Joon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Renee, we need you. I need you. And with Ajay gone now, we have to make sure we take care of ourselves, and each other. Don't keep stuff like this to yourself again, ok?"

Renee smirked at him. "You're telling me off?" she snorted. 

Tae Joon shrugged. "I figured it was my turn." He walked with her towards the lounge and they sat down. "Has anything like this ever happened to you before?" 

Renee looked to the side. "Once... back in the labs, there were so many of them in my head, shouting and screaming, but... they were clearer. Now it's just... whispers. I get a word here and there but right now it's nothing. There's nothing useful. I don't like it."

"I'm sorry, I really don't know enough about what happened to you to help," Tae Joon said.

"You and me both." She slumped back in her chair. "Something's coming Tae, and I think it's gonna be big and bad and bloody and we need to be prepared."

Tae Joon tried to smile reassuringly. "Well, that's a word I can work with," he said. He set his jaw firmly. "Think you can get everyone in the workshop after dinner? Get this plan solid, get it done."

Renee smiled. "Sure." She hesitated after standing up. "Thanks."

-

Tae sat on his bed and stared at the walls. He didn't eat with the others any more, he couldn't stand the memories of how happy he had once been to sit at the table with the rest of them, the others all carefree in their ignorance, when now everyone was tense and scared, there were empty seats and one he just couldn't bear to look at. The broken, splintered ugly feeling in his chest when he thought of Elliott was starting to give way to the more familiar ache, and he was missing him and needing him and really, that was better because he was at least used to it. He was used to hurting, not feeling angry and dirty, like their relationship was an awful thing, and he realised now that staying apart was the only way to let it heal. Every time they went near each other they just pulled at it more and more, made it weak and frayed at the edges and created new scars. This was better, he told himself. And for once, he actually believed it.

Still, he couldn't deny Elliott his own coping mechanism, which would be at the stage where he had to surround himself with the people he loved and who loved him back. Elliott would be hating himself, and he needed the others to pull him back from that, and Tae Joon wanted nothing more than for Elliott to feel better. If that meant staying away so Elliott could get the healing attention he needed, then so be it. He was never really one for all of that anyway.

Between his focus on the new plan and the laughter he could hear echoing down the halls from the dining room, Tae Joon was certain that both he and Elliott would have enough armour to make it through the coming meeting without tearing each other apart, intentionally or otherwise. 

He was still nervous though, and he knew that had very little to do with being in the same space as Elliott. Every time he was in that kind of situation, all eyes on him as he sat there, explaining and making plans, his gut twisted in fear. Though he was certain it had been far from her intention, Renee's words had not helped him at all. Everything they had done so far had been risky but relatively safe; no one had gotten hurt yet. Their luck could run out at any time. 

He wasn't the first one there when he arrived at the workshop. Caustic was there, hunched over at his table, writing something down in a notebook in his meticulous, copper-plate print. He looked up when he heard Tae Joon enter, slipping his glasses from his face. 

"You're early," Tae Joon said, gently shutting the door behind himself.

"No," the scientist said gruffly. "I have been here since the beginning of this afternoon. It is no secret that I rarely choose to mix with the... others." The pause made Tae Joon think that perhaps he wanted to say something a little more harsh but had held himself back. "I always enjoyed this space more when I was certain of being alone. Continuing my research in my living space can be... hazardous. No matter," the scientist said, sitting up a little straighter. "I take it that you have something to say to us all."

Tae Joon nodded. Caustic still sparked a nervous tremor in him but there was still that unacknowledged thing between them, as if Tae Joon knew something, but only Caustic truly knew what it was. 

"I only hope that this time I can prove useful. I grow weary of sitting on the sidelines. Far be it for me to let basic anger rule my actions, but I believe this transcends that, and I wish to play my part."

Tae Joon wasn't quite sure how to respond. It seemed that even Caustic was looking to him to lead, for guidance, and Tae Joon felt like it were akin to someone asking a burger flipper to be in charge of an atomic bomb. 

"I've seen you in the ring enough times to know how valuable you will be," was all he managed to say. 

-

Tae Joon explained what he and Renee had discussed, almost word for word. There were some people who were wary of the idea, Natalie in particular was certain it was risky. But at the same time, Tae Joon explained, she would also be vital to this particular operation, so she swallowed down her fears and nodded resolutely. 

"I know it isn't King's Canyon, but I imagine their perimeter security will be much the same. You spent more time in the arena when there was no match on than any of us, and anything you can remember would be helpful."

Natalie bit her lip. "Of course." Tae Joon passed his laptop over to her and she retreated to a quiet corner of the workshop, tapping away. 

"I have to go along on this one too, Renee also, but we need to be a small team. We can't risk attracting any attention. We just need to get in and out as quickly as possible."

Caustic folded his arms over his chest. "Clearly your best option is to take the tracker with you then," he said, inclining his head towards Bloodhound.

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing,"Tae Joon agreed. 

Bloodhound didn't even wait to be asked. "How do we get close enough?" they asked, permission long since granted. 

Tae Joon frowned. "That is the part I am having trouble with. It would be foolish to take our own ship so close, not to mention that it is currently severely downgraded in terms of radar."

"How do people usually get there? You know, people who aren't going there to try to kill each other?" Elliott asked. He was standing by his table, hands on his hips, his face unreadable. 

"Supply ships take maintenance crews in all the time," Natalie piped up from the corner. 

Tae Joon frowned in thought. "Big enough for us to stow away on?"

Natalie smiled. "Oui," she said. "I used to do it quite often when I was little. Papa used to tell me off a lot."

Tae Joon couldn't help but smile too.

"Alright, but how do we get on board without being spotted?" 

Elliott shifted on his feet, and everyone in the room turned to face him. "Seems to me like it would be handy if you could go invisible," he said lightly, his arms still folded as he spoke.

Tae Joon looked at his hands before he answered, before forcing himself to look up. "You can do that?"

Elliott took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. "It'll take some time to get the three of you kitted properly, but yeah, I reckon."

"How long?"

"Coupla days maybe?" 

Tae Joon nodded. "Alright. I'll see if I can get some information from the servers about when and where these ships are leaving. Think it's best we go in at night if possible." 

Natalie looked up from Tae Joon's computer. "If it helps, the crews they send in at night tend to be MRVNs, just one human aboard to supervise."

"You have no idea how much that helps," Tae Joon said gratefully. "Once we're on board, I can shut them down no problem."

"And it's pretty easy to subdue the human element," Renee said a little darkly. 

"That is all well and good," Caustic chimed in, "but how do you propose to leave again? Can any of you fly one of these ships?"

Tae Joon, Bloodhound and Renee all shared a nervous glance. "Maybe once," Renee said quietly. "Not sure I remember how."

"Anita?" Tae Joon asked.

"Yeah, I could, but this stealth operation of yours is getting a little crowded," she said warningly. 

Tae Joon screwed his eyes shut in frustration. 

"I imagine the pilot of the ship would be a robot, like me," Pathfinder said. "Maybe there is a way you could get them to fly you back. Try asking nicely." There was absolutely no hint of sarcasm in Pathfinder's voice. 

"Yeah, I'll do that," Tae Joon replied, already knowing which programme he was going to use to hack the bot. 

There were a few more questions, mostly working out the finer details and going over things until it was clear they were close to going in circles. 

"Ok," Tae Joon said. "I think that's enough. We need to start getting ready first thing. Anita, Makoa, Caustic, you guys should go get some rest, but thanks for your help. Just need to talk through some finer points with the rest of you."

Makoa left with a hearty slap on Tae Joon's shoulder, Anita offering him a mock salute as she went. Caustic as usual left without a word, and shut the door behind him. 

Natalie hopped up and passed the laptop back to Tae Joon, the screen now full of text. "That is as much as I can remember," she said, stifling a small yawn. 

"Thank you," Tae Joon said. "Go rest, you looked tired," he said.

"Oh, merci," Natalie replied sarcastically as Renee let out a short, breathy laugh. Tae Joon was going to respond, but she let him off the hook with a wave of her hand. "Good night," she said, smiling softly before leaving the workshop.

"Alright," Tae Joon continued, forcing himself to address Elliott properly. "What do you need us to do?"

Elliott looked for just a second as though he had forgotten how to speak, then he cleared his throat. "Well, I'm gonna need to make sure the kit cloaks you completely but only you. Has to be a tight fit or the blurry edges are a dead giveaway. So, basically, figure out what it is your gonna be wearing and taking with you, get all dressed up and then come let me know. I can do it all in here," he continued, "but it's a slow process. Best part of a day." 

"Better to change here," Renee said, glancing around. "Might raise a few eyebrows walking through the complex dressed like assassins." 

"Agreed," Bloodhound said. "I will retire now, and return here in the morning if that is well with you Elliott." 

"Sounds good."

"All of us?" Renee asked. 

Elliott scrunched up his nose. "Seems a little pointless to have you all milling around here. I can only do one at a time."

"Yeah, uh, but maybe... I mean-" Renee said, sounding very strange, while Bloodhound pointedly looked at their feet.

"Out with it," Elliott said with a smirk. 

Tae Joon sighed. "They don't think we should be alone together," Tae Joon said plainly. Renee and Bloodhound looked like they were going to say something, but Elliott stopped them. 

"Actually a good point," he said.

"Yes, I think so," Tae Joon agreed. 

The room was thick with awkward tension, and Elliott broke it by straightening up. "Right, Bloth tomorrow, you two the day after, alright?"

Tae Joon and Renee both nodded numbly. 

"Better get some rest. Looks like I got a lot of work ahead of me." He walked out of workshop, leaving the tension behind. 

"Sorry you got stuck with that particular duty," Tae Joon said to Renee, running his hands through his hair and looking up to the ceiling. 

"Still feel partially responsible," Renee answered simply. 

Tae Joon gave her a withering look and she backed off, hand raised in supplication. "Alright, ok, I'm going," she said.

After she had gone, Bloodhound looked curiously at Tae Joon for a moment before bidding him goodnight and leaving. Tae Joon let out a long breath that he didn't get to finish when the door opened once more and Bloodhound stepped back in. 

"Forget something?"

Bloodhound didn't answer. "Would you like to talk about it?" they asked carefully. 

Tae Joon swallowed. "Will it help?"

"It might."

So Tae Joon told them everything. The arguments, the incident in the workshop, the awful, heart breaking conversation that followed. "The worst part," he said, his voice straining with tears as he spoke, "the very worst thing is seeing what I've done to him. What I've turned him into."

Tae Joon's voice was ragged now, and when Bloodhound placed a hand on his shoulder, he couldn't help but lean into it, unable to support himself. "Elliott was happy and good and kind, and now he's... he's just not the same. And that's my fault."

He waited, waited for Bloodhound to do what they always did and say all the right things to make him feel better, but they didn't. 

"The people we meet always have the power to change us," they said sadly. "Not always for the better."

Tae Joon wiped a tear away angrily. "Right," he said, his voice hard.

"Do not fret, Tae. I think there is still a long way to go on his journey. And yours."

Bloodhound did leave then, and Tae Joon stayed behind far longer than he meant to, eyes fixed on nothing at all, his thoughts all swirled together. 

-

He spent the next day in huddled conversation with Renee, going over every detail of the plan until they were certain of what it was they were going to do. Finding out the schedule of the maintenence ships was almost embarassingly easy, and like he had thought they left from the Syndicate's building nearby. This place was mostly full of people who oversaw the Games, and was far from Top Secret. Tae Joon had even been given a small tour of the place when he had been given his Legend status.

He avoided the workshop as though it were radioactive, and didn't see Elliott at all. He caught a glimpse of Bloodhound as they left around noon and took some food and water from the kitchen before heading back in. He watched the hunter with his eyes, his mind a strange whirlwind as he imagined what they and Elliott were doing, Elliott going on and on about tech that no one could understand but him, Bloodhound listening closely nonetheless, committed to the plan and their part in it. In a way it was comforting to think that Elliot had something he could throw himself into, and he tried not to remember how many boundaries he would have to cross tomorrow so that Elliott could do his job. 

-

He wasn't at all surprised when Renee knocked on his door the next morning. "Thought you'd be happier if we went in together," she said, her tone implying that there was something far worse than Elliott waiting for them. Tae Joon really couldn't agree more, but he kept his thoughts to himself as they walked down the halls. 

On his back he carried a rucksack with everything he would need for their operation. Dark clothes, his drone and control cube, his laptop, but not much else. He and Renee had discussed bringing weapons, but that seemed like a good way for things to go south very quickly, and they decided against it. 

Elliott was hunched over his own laptop when they entered, looking exhausted as he glared at the screen, glancing over at the schematics pinned to the board beside him every now and then. The sight was so endearing and frankly, attractive, that Tae Joon curled his hand into a fist, digging his nails into his palm to ground himself.

"Morning guys," Elliott said wearily when he spotted them. "Say, you didn't happen to bring a gallon of coffee with you did ya?"

Renee smiled at him. "Sorry," she said, shrugging off her back pack and placing it on Tae Joon's work station. 

"Ah, a guy can dream."

"Was it difficult?" Tae Joon asked. "Doing this for Bloodhound?"

"Difficult. Long. A pain in my ass. Take your pick," Elliott replied tiredly. 

Tae Joon gave him a sympathetic look as Elliott straightened up, arching his back and running a hand through his far less than perfect hair. "Alright, I might as well start easy. Gimme the little bot." He held his hand out, and Tae Joon took his drone out of his bag and handed it over. Elliott placed it on his table and bent over it, dragging a device Tae Joon had never seen before over it, a blue light flickering out of it and scanning over the drone. He and Renee watched in silence as he worked, but what he was doing didn't take long. He turned back around and waved at a space near Caustic's workstation. Some of the plastic sheeting from the floor had been suspended from the ceiling, it's opaque whiteness stained green in places. "Bloodhound got changed over there," he muttered. 

"Who should go first?" Renee asked. Elliott had turned and was once again studying his computer as a green, skeletal map of the drone began to take shape.

"Tae first," he said, his voice even and low. "Might as well do these two together." 

Tae Joon disappeared behind the sheet, painfully aware of just how awkward it was to be undressing in the same room as Elliott, a feeling compounded by Renee being there as what he could only assume was a very uncomfortable witness. In his haste he kept messing up, having to remove his shirt and try again when he put it on backwards, fumbling over the zipper of his jeans. Eventually he was ready and he stepped back out, feeling horribly self-conscious.

Some terrible part of him was hoping for some reaction from Elliott, but the engineer just nodded slightly and then turned to Renee. "Might as well," he said, pointing to the space Tae Joon had just vacated. 

She slipped behind without a word, and Elliott hesitated for a moment before beckoning Tae Joon over.

"Right, you gotta hold real still or we're gonna have to start all over again, ok?"

Tae Joon nodded. 

"Arms stretched out, like this," Elliott said, spreading his own arms out like a scarecrow. 

Tae Joon laughed gently.

"You won't be doing that when your arms start aching," Elliott said. Tae Joon did as he was told and Elliott began to run the same scanning device from his shoulders to the synthetic tips of his fingers. He only did the one arm before glancing over at his computer and swearing under his breath.

"What's the matter?" Tae Joon asked. 

"Its - you can put your arms down now - its all that stuff on your hands," Elliott said, and Tae Joon flexed his fingers. "Scanner can't pick it up properly." 

"I can't, you know, take it off," Tae Joon said stupidly.

"I know that," Elliott snapped at him. Then he sighed. "Sorry. Long night. Early morning."

"It's fine," Tae Joon replied, and it really was, too.

Elliott began tapping away on his screen. 

"Can you get around it?"

Elliott nodded. "Yeah, but it's like a whole night's-" He stopped himself suddenly. "Yeah." 

Tae Joon had told Elliott all about the cybernetics, Elliott had been so curious about them, but as Tae Joon had gone on to tell him about why he had gotten them, how much it had hurt, Elliott's curiosity turned to horror.

"How can you even bear to let me touch them?" Elliott had lifted his hands from Tae Joon's chest and the synthetic skin there, as though the tips of his fingers had been burned. 

"I like it when you do," Tae Joon had replied, taking Elliott's hand and putting it back in place. "It makes them easier to accept." But that felt like forever ago, and now they were just doing what they had to.

Elliott straightened up, jolting Tae Joon back to the present. "Alright, whatever, let's just do the rest."

Elliott scanned his way across Tae Joon's shoulders and down his back, then his legs and his other arm. Tae Joon would have to have been blind not to see the hesitation in Elliott's eyes when the time came to scan his face. He could see every line at the corner of Elliott's eyes, could see the light reflected in them.

Renee had tactfully remained silent and had been busying herself messing around with the equipment Ajay had left behind. She didn't say anything, but her presence was enough to keep them both grounded.

Elliott pulled away and turned back to his computer. Tae Joon looked over at Renee and she gave him the smallest nod. He smiled a small thank you at her.

"Ok, you're up, void runner," Elliott said, turning around. 

"Funny," she said wryly. 

"I'll go get some coffee," Tae Joon said, turning to the door.

"Change first, idiot," Elliott called, not looking up from his scanning of Renee.

-

Their role was mostly to get parts of themselves scanned and rescanned while Elliott worked. In between, Tae Joon tinkered with his drone while Renee wandered around, flipping through Pathfinder's book of poetry and generally making a small nuisance of herself. Now and then she would toss her head and grimmace, but when Tae Joon opened his mouth to ask her if she was alright, she pressed her finger to her lips with a pointed look at Elliott. 

It was late when Elliott straightened up and announced that Renee was practically done. He beckoned her over and asked her to hold out her hand. He strapped a familiar device to her wrist, slotting a card out of the side of his laptop and pushing it into the tech.

"What about the things?" she asked, waving her free hand over her other arm.

"Don't need them," Elliott explained. "Cloaking, not decoys." 

Renee was clearly none the wiser. "You see-" Elliott began, but Renee shushed him.

"Don't. My head hurts enough as it is."

"Copy that." He took a step back. "Ok, you see the little readout there? Take the fingers of your other hand and swipe them across." 

Renee did so, and after a brief flickering, she vanished. Elliott let out a long sigh of relief. 

"Oh good," he said gently.

"How long does it last?" Renee's voice asked from nowhere. 

"About twenty seconds. Any more and you'd need a car battery strapped to your back." 

Renee flickered back into view. "Twenty seconds. No problem." She took the device off and handed it back. "Good job, Ell."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a genius," Elliott said, rubbing his eyes in exhaustion. He took a step back, turning the device over in his hands before setting it down on his table. "Look, you can get going if you want."

"But... what about...?" Renee said gently. 

"I meant both of you," Elliott said. "Yours won't be ready 'til tomorrow at least, I still got some blanks to fill in," Elliott said, looking at Tae Joon.

"Don't mind keeping you company," Renee offered.

"No, really, I'll just be tinkering away, not much fun."

"You sure?"

Elliott pointed dramatically at the door. "Think how much I coulda gotten done instead of having this little chat with you."

Renee grinned. "All right. We're leaving. C'mon Tae."

She went ahead and Tae Joon lingered. Elliott looked completely exhausted. "Get some sleep, Elliott, please."

Elliott waved him away to the door. "Sleep when I'm dead, Tae," he said absently, turning back to his computer. 

-

Tae Joon returned the next morning, alone and carrying a mug of hot, strong black coffee. He found Elliott at his station, head on his arms and fast asleep and, in all honesty, he would have taken a moment to appreciate it if Elliott wasn't smelling a little ripe. Tae Joon glanced at his laptop. There was a model of Tae Joon there, but like the drone it was just a green mesh outline, with some complicated looking equations off to one side. 

"Elliott," he said softly, not wanting to startle the other man. Elliott was clearly deeply asleep however and didn't stir. Tae Joon almost wanted to leave him to it and return in a few hours, but time was short so instead he shook Elliott gently by the shoulder.

"Elliott," he said again. 

Elliott grunted and his eyes flickered open, his mouth stretching into a lazy smile when he saw Tae Joon. "Hey," he said sleepily, but then his memory seemed to catch up with him and he jolted upright, making Tae Joon jump and slop a little of the coffee over the rim of the mug as he moved back.

Elliott ran a hand over his face, groaning heavily. "I'm up," he mumbled. Tae Joon handed him the mug, having seen Elliott wake up enough times to know he was going to need a minute. Elliott offered him a small look of gratitude and took a sip, even though the coffee was still far too hot.

Elliott stretched his back and whined as his spine popped, then stood up, eyes still narrowed against the light. "Where's Renee?" he asked eventually. 

"Just me," Tae Joon replied. "I only have to test it, right? I think we can manage unsupervised for five minutes."

Elliott snorted. "Liar." He turned back to his station and glanced at the computer screen. "I had to fill in all the blanks the scanner couldn't pick up by hand, and I'm not much of an artist." Elliott yawned widely. He set the mug down and grabbed the control strap. 

"Put this on," he said, and Tae Joon pretended not to notice how this was the first time Elliott had done something like this and not put the tech on himself. Tae Joon did as he asked, and Elliott explained how to activate the cloak once more. 

Tae Joon didn't feel any different, but when he looked down at his arms, they weren't there. Elliott was frowning at the space where he was, walking around him in a small circle. 

"Damn," he heard Elliott mutter from behind him.

"What's wrong?" Tae Joon asked.

"The... this bit, here, on your back... it's ok, I can fix it. Ugh."

Tae Joon held still while Elliott continued to work before moving back to his desk. "Elliott, are you alright?" Tae Joon asked gently.

"I'm fried." Elliott held his gaze for just a moment.

"Do you want me to-"

"Come back in about an hour," Elliott spoke over him, and Tae Joon gave a small nod and left. 

-

The next test was a lot more successful, and Elliott pronounced that Tae Joon's cloak was as ready as it was ever going to be. There was still a few hours left of morning, but Elliott looked ready to drop.

"I need to sleep so much," Elliott complained. 

Tae Joon smiled slightly. "Thank you, Elliott. I know this wasn't easy." 

Elliott raised his eyebrows. Tae Joon moved towards the door.

"Tae?"

Tae Joon turned back. "This isn't me talking about it, alright?"

Tae Joon sighed. "Elliott-"

Elliott held up a hand. "Come on man, hear me out. Like I said, this isn't to do with that, but... but it is. Just, please be careful out there tonight, ok? Please come back in one piece. I don't know how I'd..." Elliott cleared his throat and tried to compose himself. "Just be safe."

Tae Joon nodded but said nothing, leaving quickly and heading back to his room. 

-

His nerves were getting the better of him as the time approached. Tae Joon had met up with Bloodhound and Renee in the workshop, where Elliott had left the cloaks out waiting for them. As far as Tae Joon knew Elliott was still out for the count, but he was nowhere around when they left. 

The journey to the other building took about fifteen minutes on foot, and they kept to the shadows and off the pathways. Bloodhound was invaluable when it came to avoiding the stragglers who were walking around the grounds, and Renee's warnings stopped them from getting caught more than once. 

The dispatch for the ships was right on the very edge of the complex, and they just managed to get outside the building with ten minutes left before the next ship out. Tae Joon ducked down behind a wall and slipped his laptop from his back, getting inside the security cam feed and setting it on a loop. He stowed his computer again and nodded at the other two, and they moved around the outside walls and towards the landing pad. A maintenance ship was sitting there, engines warming up, and they watched for just a moment.

"Bloodhound?" Tae Joon whispered. 

Bloodhound scanned the ship. "The crew is already on board. Natalie's information was correct. There is someone at the rear of the ship, the rest of them appear to be robotic."

There was a wide, open strip of space between them and the hatch of the ship. A few staff were milling around, and Tae Joon held up two to fingers to the others, who copied the signal. Then as one they activated their cloaks and dashed as quietly as they could across the tarmac. It was close as they ran onto the ship, the door closing narrowly behind Tae Joon just as their cloaks ran out. They crowded against the wall, but the MRVNs ahead all seemed to be in a shut down state and paid them no mind. The supervisor, however, quickly noticed them and their eyes widened in shock. "Hey, what are you-"

There was a zip and a flash of purple light as Renee phased towards the guard, reappearing in an instant and knocking him to the ground with a solid fist at his jaw. The guard was out cold, and between them Renee and Bloodhound moved him further down the ship while Tae Joon began to reprogramme the bots, adding a simple code which would make them unconcerned to see three unauthorised humans aboard their ship when they woke up. So far it was all going fairly to plan, and Tae Joon was cautiously optimistic as the ship took flight and headed towards the arena.

The ship landed on the wide expanse of grass just to the north of the train yard. It was far from ideal, but the arena was shrouded in darkness and they were quick to move, the MRVN in the pilots seat having been convinced by Tae Joon's laptop that staying put might be a good idea. 

They scrambled down the grassy bank keeping their heads low, moving towards the centre of the water logged valley beneath the train tracks. Without their packs they couldn't use the zipline to get onto the higher ground, so they moved along the grassy hill towards the tunnel that lead to the station. 

They separated on the other side of the tunnel, having come up against a small crew comprised of both MRVNs and humans who were working on the tracks at Thermal Station. Tae Joon guessed that if the file was going to be anywhere it would be in the base of the huge tower in the centre, the one surrounded by a ring of lava and impossible to get to without using a line. Renee jerked her head towards the steep bank that overlooked the station and the three made their way up silently.

"Someone is nearby," Bloodhound whispered as they moved. Renee cocked her head, but it was clear that the voices had nothing to say on the matter. Tae Joon looked around as they came to a stop behind a rock, their backs shielded by the large cliff behind them. 

"Stay low," Renee said, as Tae Joon sent his drone out and away from the station and back towards the small houses they had just passed. He made sure to fly it low until he reached his target, sending out an EMP that caused every light in the tunnel to blow before quickly calling it back, while everyone on the crews below turned and moved towards the sparks and noise. 

"Renee, now," Tae Joon said urgently, and Renee nodded, setting a portal under the cover of the distraction, phasing over the lava so she didn't get burned, emerging with a pulse of purple light at the the other end just at the base of the tall structure. 

Tae Joon jumped straight through while Bloodhound stayed behind to keep watch, and headed straight towards the various panels, drone out and scanning while Renee stood in the doorway. He picked up numerous files, but he would have to wait until they returned home to see if he had gotten anything useful.

"Tae, hurry, the portal won't last much longer," Renee whispered through the darkness. 

"Almost done," he replied. "Alright, let's go." He stowed his drone away and turned back to the portal. 

"Hold," Bloodhound's voice came suddenly over the comms. "Someone is nearby."

"Damn, what kind of person? Human or bot?"

"They appear to be human."

"Well, don't let them see you Bloth," Renee muttered back, and they could practically hear the insulted 'please' that they would never actually say over the comms.

"Can you get them away from the portal? If they see it we're busted."

"Copy that."

While Bloodhound distracted the guard, Renee and Tae Joon jumped back into the portal and back up to the ledge. Bloodhound was nowhere to be seen, so with a nod at each other they began to move back towards the ship, muttering down the comms to Bloodhound that they were on the move. 

As the ship came into view, they spotted a shadowy figure moving towards them. It was clearly Bloodhound, they moved the same way they did in the ring, head low and shoulders squared, but Tae Joon's relief soon shifted to panic as he spotted the guard behind them. Tae Joon and Renee were close to the ship now and Renee threw open the hatch and scrambled aboard. Tae Joon hung back, urging Bloodhound on, but as the hunter jumped with a resounding clang onto the ship there was a crack in the air as the hatch began to close. 

Bloodhound crashed to the floor and the ship whirred into life and took off. Tae Joon dropped down beside them as the hunter clutched at their shoulder, blood oozing from between their gloved fingers. 

"Bloodhound," Tae Joon said urgently, placing his own hand over Bloodhound's own to help stem the flow. Renee dropped to her knees on their other side, her eyes misted. 

"The gun range," she whispered quickly.

Tae Joon shook his head. "What?"

"We need to take Bloth to the gun range. Go, message Anita, tell her what's happened and then tell her she has to cover us on this one."

Tae Joon had no idea what she was talking about, but Bloodhound's voice came weakly from beneath their mask. 

"She is right. We need... we need to.... you and Renee cannot be caught..."

"Save your strength, Bloth," Renee urged as the ship flew on.

It seemed to take forever to get back to the complex, but Tae Joon made sure to land as close to the legends area as he thought they could get away with. To save moving Bloodhound too much, Renee opened a portal from the ship to the gun range, where Anita was already waiting, ashen faced, a P2020 clutched in her shaking hands.

"God," she said, horrified as she caught sight of the three of them. She knealt at Bloodhound's side, swallowed thickly, and then switched up into soldier mode. "Get out of here," she muttered to Tae Joon and Renee. "Get cleaned up, and go to bed." 

Tae Joon and Renee nodded, still stunned, and left the range, Anita's shouts ringing down the hall behind them. "Medic! Accidental discharge! I need a Medic!"

Tae Joon felt numb, his blood frozen in his veins as he found his room and fell inside. He peeled off his clothes quickly and all but collapsed into the shower, his whole body shaking. The warm water did nothing to soothe him as he watched the blood of his friend swirl down the drain. His breathing was short and ragged, and guilt flooded him. He had been hurt before, he had bled so many times he had lost count, but not since Mila had anyone else had to suffer for his actions. He wanted so much to go to Bloodhound, to apologise and in all honesty, he wanted them to take a swing at him in the misguided belief that it might make him feel better. He wanted to go to Renee, to make sure she was ok, he wanted to go to the others and tell them what had happened, to debrief them, and of course, of course, he wanted to go to Elliott. He always wanted to go to Elliott. He'd seen Bloodhound's wounds and was sure they would be alright, but he couldn't be certain as he did nothing he wanted to do and instead climbed into his bed, waiting for sleep that he knew would never come.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to change the rating, yikes. It's not overly graphic, but there are some heavily implied situations, so, yeah.
> 
> You guys remain awesome.

Tae Joon pulled himself out of bed just an hour or so later. He desperately wanted to check the files he had gotten, but his mind was a confused mess and he knew he needed a clear head. Instead he sat in front of his computer staring at the screen as its ghostly glow sunk his features. He should just go. He felt it like a thorn in his side. No one else should have to bleed for his cause, no one else needed to be left destroyed in his wake. He wanted to take the files he had found and leave a note saying that they didn't need to fight anymore. Not for him. Everyone he had met was worse off for doing so, and whereas once he had only feared it would be Elliott who loathed him, he was starting to feel like that could be true of anyone else. He wanted to run away.

He cast a look over to his bed. It would be easy, to just leave, to forget this part of his life and go. He owed them all more than he could ever repay, and his heart was heavy with regret. He stood up, dragging a bag from beneath his bed and began filling it with everything he had.

"Don't you dare."

He turned around. Elliott was standing in his doorway, his face still lined with exhaustion. 

"I have to," he said, his voice pleading. 

Elliott crossed the room towards him, wrenching the bag from his hands. "No," he said. He seemed angry, but devastatingly sad at the same time. "You can't turn your back on us now."

"I'm not!" Tae Joon shouted, his anger at himself suddenly boiling over. "I'm saving you! I'm saving all of you. Don't you see what I am, Elliott, what I'm doing?"

Elliott didn't even react to his words. "If you leave, now, when we need you the most, that would be the worst thing you could do."

Tae Joon stepped away from Elliott, his face set into a snarl. "Bloodhound could have died," he said through gritted teeth. "Because of me."

Elliott closed the space between them once more and grabbed his arm, the pressure almost painful, his face angrier than Tae Joon had ever seen.

"And you owe it to them to stay," he growled. "To see it through. The Tae Joon I know wouldn't run."

"Then maybe you don't know me as well as you think," Tae Joon spat.

Elliott released him. "I guess not," he said quietly. 

"What the hell are you even doing here, Elliott?" Tae Joon asked, his voice spiteful as he turned back to his bed.

"The fact that you think I couldn't have come tells me enough," Elliott replied. "Leave if you're going to," he said. "Maybe we would be better off without you."

Tae Joon curled his hands into fists as he turned to glare at him. "Maybe they would be," he said pointedly, his voice hard but with a broken edge, as he gestured at Elliott. "You are."

Elliott flinched. "Oh, screw you Park," he seethed. "I get it now. You're a damn curse. I was doing fine until you came along, but I guess with me you were just getting started."

The words hurt Tae Joon so much it almost dropped him, but he held fast. "Go away Elliott." He took a deep breath. "We're done."

Elliott seemed shocked by his words, as if they had been a physical blow. Then he squared his shoulders. "Fine by me," he growled, but he didn't leave. 

Tae Joon wanted to kiss him. He wanted to take it all back in a heartbeat, he wanted to get on his knees and beg to be forgiven, not just for the cruel things he had said but for everything he had done. 

"Just ask yourself what's more important, " Elliott continued, his voice cold. "Your pride, or your sister."

Tae Joon saw red. "How dare you?" he seethed. Even Elliott seemed to realise he had gone too far, but the lapse in his furious demeanour was brief and it returned full force in seconds. 

"We're not stupid, Tae. We don't think this whole shitshow is going to be sunshine and lollipops and happily ever afters. If you say we're done, fine. It's probably right anyway. This thing between us is toxic, and I can't stand it anymore. Better to know that there's never going to be a way for us than to live in this stupid limbo we've created. You're hurting, we get that, but this fight won't stop just because you're gone, it will only be that much harder. You wouldn't be leaving us, you'd be abandoning us, and if you can live with that then I don't want you anyway."

Tae Joon heard the way his voice failed at the end, heard the lie over everything else. There were tears in Elliott's eyes now, and Tae Joon fell to a hundred sharp pieces inside as he watched Elliott try to be stronger and better because they both needed him to be. Everything was different and broken and Tae Joon had nothing to hold on to except the one truth he had found here, the one thing that had been keeping him grounded ever since it had come to be. The one thing he could never leave behind.

Elliott was watching him, afraid and beautiful and perfect and his entire world. Everything around it may have been tainted and poisoned, but the truth that lived at the very centre of all that they were was still bright and pure and strong. It outshone everything else. He felt suddenly calm as he looked at Elliott, and everything was so clear.

"I love you," Tae Joon said.

-

Time stopped.

Elliott didn't move. His expression was a mixture of shock, and so awfully, Tae Joon thought, disbelief. He swallowed thickly before he spoke again, and a hard line flickered across his face. "Say... say it again," he said, and his voice was so weak and small and quiet. "Please."

Tae Joon took a deep breath as tears welled in his eyes and he walked forward. "I love you," he said, his voice barely a whisper. Tae Joon knew that Mirage heard those words a hundred times a day, and he also knew in an instant that Elliott never had. Not from someone like him, who loved him as Tae Joon did. He stopped in front of Elliott, a choked sort of laugh escaping him in his relief. "I love you so much."

Elliott pulled him close and kissed him in a way that went so far beyond the simple act. He'd never felt that Elliott was holding back, but this was somehow different. They'd had to go through so much to get back here again, made mistake after mistake and thought that what they had could be a bad thing.

"I love you," he repeated, and everything was suddenly forgotten as Elliott kissed him in every place he could reach, leaving only his mouth free so Tae Joon could keep saying those words over and over again. He tugged at the neck of Tae Joon's shirt, exposing his shoulder and dragging his teeth across the cool skin. Elliott was gentle but needful, and everywhere his lips touched felt warm and alive. Tae Joon spoke again, saying the words to himself as much as he was to Elliott, needing to hear them, needing to be honest.

"I love you Elliott," he murmured as they fell on his bed together. He felt the warmth of Elliott's breath at his throat as hands worked to free them both from their clothes. Tae Joon ached for everything that Elliott was, needing it all so much he was certain he would go mad if it were kept from him for a moment longer. Elliott was becoming frantic, his breath short as he undressed Tae Joon, his eyes roving over Tae Joon's body as if he had never seen it before. Tae Joon let his hands do whatever the hell they wanted, and they wanted Elliott, strong and solid and there.

"I love you."

Elliott took his face in his hands and kissed him, and Tae Joon was nothing else. Elliott moved, closing every space between them and Tae Joon moved in time, closer and deeper and more together than they had ever been. Tae Joon felt his skin buzzing, his fingers and toes curling into mattress as Elliott's solid weight above him drove him wild. Elliott kissed a line across his jaw and back to the corner of his mouth, and Tae Joon released his hold on the sheets to curl his fingers around Elliott's shoulder, digging the tips into the flesh hard enough to bruise. Elliott was as close as he could be, and yet Tae Joon wanted more.

"I'm sorry," Elliott whispered, his voice wretched as his hands moved lower, brushing across the jut of Tae Joon's hip. "I'm sorry and I love you and I need you, and I should never have let you go."

Tae Joon's grip releaxed, and he ran his hand up and through Elliott's hair, before moving it down to cup his cheek. "So keep me," he whispered, smiling through aching tears. "I can do this and I can get through it but not without you, Elliott. I thought I could, I thought I would be stronger without you but I'm not. I'm not." His voice shook as he was overwhelmed, his agony and his ecstasy all rolled into one. Elliott's hands moved into his hair.

"Ssh, ssh, it's ok," Elliott said softly between fluttering kisses pressed to Tae Joon's lips, his cheeks, his temples. "I know. I'm here, and I'm yours, and I was wrong." He moved lower now, kissing below Tae Joon's ear as he rolled his hips faster and faster. "I can't wait for you because I need you now. Please don't go. Please don't leave me behind."

Tae Joon's breath caught in his throat as Elliott moved above him, sparks in his chest.

"I won't, I won't," he sobbed, his words spilling out of him like a prayer as it all became too much. Elliott tensed above him and Tae Joon felt raw and painful, like loving Elliott was a wound, but it burned like a fire and set his skin aflame. They cried out together, Elliott's face buried into Tae Joon's neck, his forearms either side of his head. For a moment they were still, and Tae Joon relished the feel Elliott's heart beating against his own, and then Elliott collapsed beside him, panting, and Tae Joon gathered him into his arms. He was so in love with Elliott Witt, and it had been reckless to pretend he wasn't. It made him weaker, it made him vulnerable, but it also made him happy, and kept him grounded.

"I won't ever let you go again. I swear," Elliott whispered at his temple. "I'll always fight for you. God, we've been so stupid."

Tae Joon had so much he wanted to say. So much but he couldn't find the words. His mind was still filled with thoughts outside of the room, worries and guilt and concerns, but facing them was something he could do, something he would have to do. He'd lost himself along the way somewhere, been gotten caught up under the pressure of everyone looking at him as though he were the one who would lead them all to victory, terrified of letting them down. He wasn't their leader, he didn't want to be, but like Anita had said, he needed to step up because in the end it was his cause they were fighting for. 

-

Things were different. Tae Joon still couldn't sleep, but Elliott managed to drift off for the hour or so before sunrise. Tae Joon watched him, finding a little calm in just having him close again, not having to worry about being careful what he said or where he stood or even where his thoughts led. Giving himself permission to be with Elliott had been the best thing for him, in the end. They had been trying for warm and safe, and that had been the problem. They could love each other, but they couldn't be safe. Theirs was never going to be a picnic-date, holding hands in the sunset kind of romance. They were going to hurt and bleed and be apart sometimes, they were going to worry and be scared and they were going to get angry when the other one was in danger. But through everything, when it was so damn dark, they would at least have something to hold on to. 

Tae Joon got up and dressed, trying to wake himself up a little by splashing some cold water on his face. Even though it was still early, there was already a message in his inbox from the Syndicate relaying news of Bloodhound's 'accident' at the firing range. The language was very official and slightly condescending, but by the time he had finished reading the message Tae Joon was relieved to know that Bloodhound was fine, and would probably be out of the med wing by midday. He called out to Elliott to wake him, leaving the message open on his computer as he went to get them both coffee. 

He ran into Renee on his way to the kitchen, and she looked just as exhausted as he did. "Did you get the message? About Bloodhound," he asked as she joined him on his way down. 

Renee nodded. "Still not just gonna take the bosses word for it," she muttered darkly. The kitchen was empty when they arrived and Tae Joon nodded his agreement. 

"Yes, I think it best we go see them for ourselves." Renee watched as Tae Joon moved around.

"They shot them," she said, her whispered voice edged with anger. "I mean, what the hell?"

Tae Joon turned around, resting against the counter. "Natalie did say they were armed," Tae Joon reminded her. "They must get a lot of fans trying to break into the arena."

"Maybe," Renee muttered. "But are they the sort of people who need to be gunned down?" She crossed her arms over her chest. 

"Remember what kind of people we're dealing with here," he said in a low voice. 

Renee sighed. "Did you check the files you got?" she asked quietly. 

Tae Joon shook his head. "I couldn't, I was exhausted but I..." he said warily. 

"No, I couldn't sleep either," she said with understanding. "I mean, I know we gotta do some dangerous stuff , I know we're gonna take a few hits but... I guess I don't handle it well when it happens to someone else. If it had been me-"

"I slept with Elliott last night," Tae Joon cut in before his nerve failed. He thought that perhaps admitting it would make him feel guilty or ashamed, but instead all he felt was fear that she wouldn't approve. Renee's expression was unreadable, but eventually she unfolded her arms and let her hands swing loosely at her sides.

"Am I supposed to tell you off now? My turn again?" she said lightly.

Tae Joon looked down at his feet. "Do I need it?" he asked.

Renee shook her head. "No," she said. "Remember all those times I told you I was sorry for saying what I said? How I never meant for you and Elliott to... well, remember?" 

Tae Joon nodded. "I also remember telling you you were right."

"Well that was stupid of the both of us because we were wrong as hell. Before, you were, I dunno, maybe a little floaty, a little unavailable, but after? God, Tae, I'd meddled enough to not tell you two to work your crap out and make it worse, but you were a mess. I could see you were hanging on by a thread." She stopped herself quickly. "You... you did work it out, right? I mean, it wasn't just a quick roll in the sack because of what happened to Bloth was it?"

Tae Joon took a deep breath. "I'm in love with him," he said with a small shrug and a sad little smile.

Renee smiled in return, her eyes sympathetic and understanding. "I know," she said. "Everyone knows." She frowned at him. "He does know, doesn't he?"

Tae Joon nodded, feeling himself blush.

"But Bloodhound," he said weakly. "I feel guilty."

Renee actually laughed. "They've taken harder hits, Tae. I could tell just by looking it was a graze. I'm surprised they haven't broken out of the med bay already in a fit of boredom."

There was a low chuckle in the doorway. "They thought about. Figured it wouldn't help."

Tae Joon and Renee turned and saw Anita standing before them. "Anita," Tae Joon said urgently. "Are they alright?"

Anita nodded. "Like Renee said, it was only a graze. It was just a messy one. A couple stitches and a lot of questions."

Tae Joon tensed. "What did you tell them?" he asked.

Anita smirked. "They blamed the bird. Just said neither of us were sleeping well and we thought we'd put an hour or so in on the range. Damn crow of theirs woke up in a panic to come find 'em, got on the wrong side of my muzzle, I switched aim and boom, shot 'em in the shoulder. I feel unclean," she muttered. "Pretending I got flustered by a flying rat."

Tae Joon crooked an eyebrow. "You even sure they bought it?"

Anita sighed. "Look, honestly? I don't think they did. I mean, ok, maybe the medic we told believed us, but they're gonna have told their boss who's gonna know that last night someone broke into the arena, a guard fired off a shot, and now they got a legend in the med bay with a bullet wound in their shoulder. Whatever you're planning, plan faster, or think of something to make them forget all this."

Tae Joon could feel fear and paranoia creeping up on him once more. "You are returning to the med bay soon, yeah?" 

Anita frowned at him. "I look like a rookie to you? Gonna stick to Blood's side like glue until I'm sure we got our stories straight. You know they don't like meds but the pain enough made 'em a little foggy. I just need coffee."

Tae Joon passed her the mug he had poured for himself. She inhaled its strong aroma and closed her eyes in bliss. "Oh, come to mama," she muttered.

Renee smirked as Anita opened her eyes once more. "Heard you, by the way. Not eavesdropping but the halls are pretty quiet this time in the morning." She glared at Tae Joon. "I'm happy for you, really, you know I am, but please man, don't screw him around like that again. Don't get me wrong, the guy's a hell of a soldier but he's the weakest of us all when it comes to stuff like this. I don't wanna come across all scary big sister, if-you-hurt-him-I'll-break-your-arms or anything, but he's always got my back so you better believe I got his. And don't think I won't be giving this same speech to him when I see him later."

Renee was giving him the same stern look, but she remained silent. She was clearly still feeling guilt about the whole thing. 

Tae Joon nodded. "I never meant to-" He stopped himself and tried again. "I won't."

"Good. Then I'll say no more. But the other thing I said, we need a way to get their eyes off Bloodhound."

"I'll think of something."

-

Elliott was awake when Tae Joon returned, sitting in front of Tae Joon's computer with a troubled look on his face. Tae Joon wasted no time in telling him what he and Anita had spoken about, and afterwards, Elliott seemed pensive. 

"So what are you thinking?" he asked, taking the mug that Tae Joon passed him.

"Honestly, I've got no idea. Move."

Elliott gave him a wry look and stood up. Tae Joon slipped in front of his computer and hooked it up to his drone. The files he had gotten from the arena were encoded, but in a different way. The Syndicate wanted him to be able to crack these on his own, after all. He began running through his usual programmes while Elliott wandered around his room, looking at his various possessions just to occupy himself. Eventually he wandered back over to Tae Joon and slipped his hands over his shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to Tae Joon's temple.

"Because I can," he said happily. He moved his hands closer together and began rubbing small circles at the base of Tae Joon's neck with his thumbs. Tae Joon was still concentrating on his laptop, but he felt his shoulders drop as he relaxed into Elliott's touch, a familiar jolt of arousal in his stomach as Elliott worked his magic at the edge of the synthetics that layered his spine. The computer would do what it needed to with or without his input, and he took his fingers from the keys, a low moan escaping him as he ran his hands over his chest and lower still.

He felt Elliott lean closer, his warm breath on his neck as he drifted down, but then Elliott's fingertips tightened on his shoulder and he straightened up.

"I... I think I have an idea," Elliott said suddenly, jarring Tae Joon from his fantasies.

"Can it wait?" he groaned.

"Shut up," Elliott said, leaning over to pick up the small wad of fan letters on Tae Joon's desk. He flicked through the envelopes. "Ah, damn," he said, his tone resolute.

"What?"

Elliott ran his fingers through his hair. "I need to speak to Caustic. You, get some sleep, you look like crap. Don't worry about Bloth, I got it covered."

Tae Joon tried to glare at him but was blindsided by a huge yawn escaping him. "Elliott, what are you planning?" he said.

Elliott feigned a look of hurt as he pulled back the covers on Tae Joon's bed, giving the whole thing a quick once over with his eyes to see if it was still habitable after last night's exertions. "What? Don't you trust me?"

Tae Joon pushed himself up and walked over to his bed, practically dragging his heavy limbs behind him. "I trust you," he mumbled. He lay down on the soft, inviting mattress, only now realising how truly exhausted he was. Speaking to Renee and Anita had calmed his mind somewhat, and it seemed his body had finally given in and admitted defeat. He rolled on to his side and forced himself to keep his eyes open a little longer, watching Elliott hunt around the room for his clothes. "I'm just not really the sort of person who can handle not knowing something," he muttered.

Elliott smirked at him. "Yeah, had noticed," he said. He hopped into his jeans and then grabbed a large, orange hoodie from the floor. He held it out to Tae Joon. "Can I borrow this?"

Tae Joon nodded sleepily. "The plan, Elliott," he insisted.

Elliott's head emerged from the neck of the hoodie and he fixed Tae Joon with a hard stare. "Might be I'm best suited for this particular mission anyway, Commander," he said wryly. " The way I see it, this is all about attention. Now I've spent my whole life shifting people's attention, usually onto myself, granted, but hey, I'll take the hit here."

Tae Joon slumped onto his back and finally closed his eyes. "And Caustic?" he slurred with sleep.

He felt Elliott kneel on the bed next to him. "You've not really been here long enough to go through the whole meet and greet thing," he said, leaning over Tae Joon to grab a sock that had landed on his bedside table. He paused thoughtfully. "Maybe that's not supposed to be your style anyway," he mused to himself. He pulled back and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "Well, last one I did, some woman tried to vault up on the stage, I mean, she made a pretty solid attempt. Took three guards to stop her. She, uh, she had handcuffs on her, for some reason," Elliott said with a small cough. 

Tae Joon's eyes cracked open. "Is this going somewhere?" 

Elliott flapped a hand at him. "I'm saying I'm just loveable, charming Mirage and even some of my fans are, well, kind of intense." He stood up. "So just imagine what the fans of a psychopath are capable of. I mean, they could do just about anything, like breaking into the arena, maybe?"

Tae Joon slowly smiled. "How are you going to play this?" he asked. 

"Like I said," Elliott replied, walking to the door. "I got this. Now sleep or I swear I'll never touch you again."

A pained sort of look crossed Elliott's face. The truth was that even though they had kissed and made up, as it were, it didn't make everything suddenly all better. They were going to need a little time, but Tae Joon at least didn't think it impossible to get back to the way they used to be. For a while there would always be this underlying tension, maybe forever, but Tae Joon loved Elliott so much he knew he could live with it.

-

Tae Joon was far from comfortable with the idea of Elliott taking the lead on this one. He felt like a bastard admitting it to himself, but he was scared that Elliott would mess it up somehow, would get the whole thing wrong and break everything. He knew Elliott was clever, knew he could think things through before he acted, but it was ultimately Tae Joon's own insecurity that was the problem. He couldn't trust plans that weren't his own, and even then it was hard going. He also knew, however, that he was exhausted to the point of actually being in pain, and he needed to rest now or he would be of no use to anyone. He waited until he was certain Elliott was gone and got to his feet, feeling guilty as he pulled a hoodie over his head and made his way to the med bay. He knew it was wrong but he had to check on Bloodhound before he could sleep. 

'Thought of them didn't seem to stop you when you had Elliott's hands down the front of your pants though, did it?' his treacherous mind supplied. He grit his teeth at the thought and went to find Bloodhound's room.

"If you're looking for Bloodhound," a voice suddenly said behind them, "They left half an hour ago." A young nurse with large brown eyes and wild black curls was smiling at him.

Tae Joon nodded. He couldn't seem overly concerned, so he thanked the medic and turned to leave. "You know, I never really spoke to them much before, but once they get going it's kind of hard to stop them, did you know that?" Tae Joon stopped dead.

"Really?" he pressed.

The nurse nodded. "Oh, but don't get me wrong, it's fascinating. I mean, did you know that ravens can get separation anxiety? Especially when they're, uh, what was the word, oh, right, moulting. Honestly, I never even really thought about birds and stuff before but listening to Bloodhound talk is... it's kinda hypnotic." She blushed.

Tae Joon let out a small laugh. "They may be the wisest person I have ever met," he said genuinely. He walked back to his room, shaking his head slowly to himself. The story had been so flimsy, and yet Bloodhound had managed to make it sound genuine with just their words. It was reassuring, really, to know that the others were more than capable of handling matters outside of the ring without him. He worried his bottom lip with his teeth as he opened his door, hoping that Elliott's plan was going as well, before falling into bed. He was asleep almost instantly, deep and dreamless and dark. 

-

He woke up in the late afternoon, disorientated and dry mouthed, confused for a moment as to why it still seemed to be daytime outside. He pushed himself up, yawning widely before making his way down to the kitchen for some water.

On his way he passed Isaac, who gave him just a cursory glance, phone jammed up against his ear.

..."my damn self. Some crackpot fringe group. No, don't be stupid. Because we don't put him in front of cameras, idiot." Tae Joon blinked and turned on the spot, hanging back a few paces so he could continue to eavesdrop.

"Not alone, but no. Not this time. I'll put out a statement. Run it by the big guy first, I mean, I don't want to deal with his attitude if he doesn't like it and we can't afford to lose anymore legends. Yeah. Yeah I thought that too but-" Isaac lowered his voice and looked around. Tae Joon pressed himself into the nook of Makoa's door and sucked his stomach in, pulling his shoulders back. "I just saw him. Guy looks like ten pounds of crap in a five pound bag. Maybe he's getting sick or something, but there's no way he was climbing over any walls or anything last night."

Tae Joon looked down at his rumpled, stained clothing and could imagine the dark circles beneath his eyes. He supposed Isaac had a point, but the joke was on him. He'd done far more dangerous things feeling a lot worse at the time, but, he supposed as he slipped out of the doorway and on to the kitchen, that was what privilege bought you. He was desperate by this point to know what Elliott's plan had been, what Caustic had to do with it, and he thought he wouldn't have to wait to find out when he found Caustic glaring at the coffee pot when he arrived.

"Oh," he said. "Hi."

Caustic ignored the greeting, as usual. "It seems to have gone satisfactorily, the plan," Caustic rumbled. Tae Joon said nothing. 

"I assume that we are all being underestimated by those in control, that they could believe such a thing so easily." The was an edge of fury to Caustic's voice and Tae Joon really didn't want to press it. 

Caustic finally looked at him. "The letter was of your creation, I take it?"

Tae Joon tried to look like he knew what Caustic was talking about, but he had nothing to go on and he gave in.

"Apologies, but this was not my operation, Caustic. Elliott has not debriefed me yet." Poor choice of words.

Caustic narrowed his eyes. "Elliott? This was all his plan?" His tone was unreadable, but it definitely wasn't one of awe or surprise. Irritation, maybe.

"He seemed to be the best person to handle the situation, and you said so yourself it seemed as though everything had gone well," Tae Joon reminded him, feeling a little defensive. 

Caustic turned back to the coffee pot. "The man is clever in a very niche way. In others I would not trust him to plan his way out of a wet paper bag."

Tae Joon folded his arms and frowned at him. "What was it you were just saying about being underestimated?"

The coffee pot clicked and Caustic grabbed the handle. "Just because you have ridiculous feelings for the man, you shouldn't let it cloud your judgement. It is your task to know what we are all capable, and what we are not, and perhaps today Elliott got lucky."

Tae Joon could have left it at that. Caustic was stubborn and cruel and ummoving, and it would do him well to remember that, but it was also his job to step on an dissent in the ranks before it could blossom. 

"You do not know him. You do not know any of them, not really. This may be the most words you and I have ever shared. Do not let your disdain for others cause you to undermine all that they can do. I am grateful for whatever it was you did today to help us, this situation did not need to involve you, but Elliott, the lucky idiot, believed you were the best person for the job. I do not expect you to like us, Caustic, but a little respect will not hurt you."

Caustic held his gaze and Tae Joon had to struggle and fight not to go screaming off down the corridors. Caustic looked like he was going to hit him, but he stood his ground. "Very well," the chemist muttered eventually, and stalked off to his room. Tae Joon let out a ragged breath and held on to the side of the kitchen counter for support. It had been a very strange few days.

-

Tae Joon returned to his room to find Elliott laying on his bed, hands across his chest, eyes closed. He was still wearing Tae Joon's hoodie, which was just a little on the small side, and Tae Joon paused for a moment before laying down beside him. Elliott was solid and warm, and he always made Tae Joon feel small, even though there really wasn't much between them. He curled in closer, his thoughts already drifting to the files that waited for him on his laptop, the ones he knew he had been avoiding looking at just in case there was nothing there. Elliott shifted a little beside him and Tae Joon felt his own eyes flutter closed as he draped his arm over Elliott's waist. 

"Go look at the files," Elliott murmured sleepily. "Now."

"I hate you," Tae Joon grumbled, getting up.

Elliott huffed and rolled over. "I love you Elliott, I hate you, Elliott," he said in a mock, singsong voice.

Tae Joon glared for a moment before leaning across the bed to kiss him gently at his hairline, before all but falling into his chair. 

The files were there, completely transcribed and with only half a glance at them, Tae Joon could tell they were complete and utter bullshit.

-

To: I. Marshall.

We're very pleased with Wattson's performance this season. She seems to be adjusting well despite her unfortunate losses. Please be sure to remind her that psychological assistance is available for all of our competitors. 

-

To: I. Marshall

You're certain he is fine? We've made no secret of the fact that he is good for revenue, but we don't want him burning out. Mirage is a human being, after all. Keep an eye on him please.

-

To: I. Marshall

Finally received proof positive. Eve's apartment search turned up many a number of personal items belonging to our legends. She must have made a [[prog run:// 12b8jdb9 x/4 if "Codename: Crypto." [If home is #whispers] ://end prog.]] fortune selling off their private things. We'll make sure everything is returned but thanks again for stepping up at such short notice.

-

Tae Joon smiled. "Mila," he breathed. He turned around to tell Elliott, but he had already fallen asleep.

-

When Tae Joon awoke, he immediately felt panic settle within him. He couldn't move, even his breath was stilted as he tried to pry himself up from his bed. The strong hand splayed across his chest to keep him down tensed even more just as reason caught up with his senses and he relaxed. 

"Elliott," he choked out, but it was hard to do much else with Elliott currently doing the things he was, his curls almost unbearable, tickling Tae Joon's navel as his head rocked slowly back and forth. Tae Joon closed his eyes, fingers digging tightly into the bedsheets, his knees drawing up ever so slightly. It was dark outside now, and the only light in the room came from the ghostly glow of his computer. Elliott's hand slid from his chest and came to rest on his hips, his other searching out Tae Joon's own as he laced their fingers together.

Tae Joon's breath became short and ragged, his legs drew up tighter still and he arched his hips from the bed, practically shouting Elliott's name as his fingers clutched tightly, his vision whiting out before he slowly released his grip again, still panting heavily as Elliott gently made his way back up to eye level with a soft trail of kisses.

Elliott moved beside him, crowding in to Tae Joon, wanting to be the smaller one for once. Tae Joon was still trying to get his breath back, heart pounding in his chest, his weak arms holding Elliott close. He could feel Elliott against him, and he pulled his head back to look down, suddenly feeling hot, his cheeks flushed with an awkward embarrassment. 

"Did... did you want me to..?" he began, a hand already running down Elliott's arm, stopping at his wrist.

Elliott grabbed Tae Joon's hand and moved it back up to his shoulder. "I'm good," he said, brushing his nose against Tae Joon's jaw. "That was.. you know, for you. And, ok, definitely for me a little bit."

Tae Joon was still blushing furiously. They'd done things before, obviously they had. Tae Joon had seen Elliott come apart beneath him, above him, everywhere, but it had always been a little desperate. More like scratching an itch, having to touch and taste because they needed to. What Elliott had just done had felt more like a promise. Elliott had just loved him, made him feel good because he had that kind of power. It hadn't been intense or overwhelming, but it had been... meaningful. They could be together and not have it feel like the world was ending. It somehow felt like the first time they had ever done anything like that without worrying that it might be the last chance they got.

He felt a soft puff of air against his skin as Elliott chuckled lightly at the hollow of his throat. "Must have been one of my top ten performances," he murmured, kissing Tae Joon's skin softly before pulling himself back up. "You haven't even asked about the whole thing with Caustic yet."

Tae Joon's lips twitched. "Funnily enough, it wasn't him I was thinking about just now."

Elliott pulled a face. "Man, I hope not," he said, wrinkling his nose. 

Tae Joon laughed and moved away a little but loving Elliott also meant knowing him, and some things never changed as Elliott lay there, playing it so cool but desperate to spill his clever plan and have Tae Joon tell him what a good boy he was. It was a little unsettling, maybe, but Tae Joon rolled with it. Praising Elliott wasn't difficult for him, and there were other ways to do it without taking his pants off.

"I just hope that Caustic was able to do what you needed him to," Tae Joon said, leading Elliott towards the conversation gently. 

"I needed him be grumpy and pissed off. The guy's a natural. Do not tell him I said that."

"No," Tae Joon said, leaning over to kiss him softly. "I like your face the shape it is."

"Everyone does," Elliott replied smugly.

Tae Joon rolled his eyes for good measure. "I just hope whatever happened won't come back to, what is the expression? Bite us in the ass?"

Elliott raised an eyebrow. "That's my job," he said, taking the bait. "And besides, I think I handled it pretty well. Mocked up a fan letter, but seeing as it was from one of his fans, I laid the creepy on real thick. 'I bled for you, Doctor Caustic, I bled for you in your murder fields. Please tell me this makes you happy.' Not gonna lie, I had to take a shower afterwards." Elliott made an exaggerated show of shuddering. 

Tae Joon didn't even want to know how Elliott's mind had come up with something so twisted, but Elliott told him anyway. "Some of his fan mail got mixed in with mine once. That was an education, let me tell you." He sat up a little straighter in the bed. "Anyway, went and showed it to Caustic, who was totally unfazed by it, by the way, and told him to wait until news broke of the little arena invasion last night before showing it to Isaac. You were still asleep and I made a lot of threats towards the others if they tried to wake you so... Caustic called Isaac into his room, showed him the letter and mentioned that his fans were 'imbeciles and meal worms', I think that's the phrase he said he used anyway. Seems like Isaac bought it, and by this point Bloth was back from the med wing making an excellent show of being just as surprised to hear about the whole thing as we were. But in, you know, the typical Bloodhound, stoic way." 

Tae Joon grinned, and filled Elliott in on his meeting with the gushing nurse.

Elliott looked bewildered. "They're gonna have to teach me how they do that," he muttered, and Tae Joon slapped him playfully on the arm. "Not that I need to know how to do that," he said quickly. He was trying and failing not to look at Tae Joon expectantly as he rubbed his arm. 

Tae Joon smiled. "You're certain he bought it?" he asked teasingly.

Elliott smiled. "Saw the press conference while you were out. Seems their increasing security around the arena and assuring people that they know that this sort of behaviour is not typical of 'the Games' loyal fanbase'," he said, using his fingers to make air quotes. 

"Sounds fine," Tae Joon said with a shrug, getting to his feet. He walked slowly around the bed, deliberately not looking at Elliott until he was next to him. "Did I ever tell you," he murmured, dropping to his knees, "how much I love it when you're clever?"

So maybe there were other ways to praise him without taking his pants off but they weren't nearly as much fun. 

-

Anita had banged on the door not ten minutes later. Elliott was a sweaty panting mess on the bed and Tae Joon's lips were still puffy and swollen as he called out requesting a moment.

He heard Anita half smirk, half gag on the other side of the door. "Don't rush on my account ladies, but there's dinner if you're hungry."

Tae Joon looked over Elliott, who raised his head from the bed. "I could eat," he said with a shrug.

Tae Joon felt a little uncomfortable. 

"Gotta face 'em all together sooner or later. Again," Elliott added.

Tae Joon pushed himself to his feet. "You're right," he said, pulling his hoodie straight. He wrinkled his nose. "I should shower first."

Elliott nodded. "Ten-four. Think I'll go back to mine and get cleaned up, you know, get changed into clothes that are actually mine. You can tell me what all that 'if home is whispers,' stuff means."

Tae Joon frowned. "You read the file?"

Elliott nodded, his expression a little uncertain. "I thought you wanted me to. It was still up on the computer when I woke up." He looked away, a little guilty. "That's part of the reason why I..." He motioned awkwardly at the bed. "I just wanted to get in there before the part of you that's glad to be getting somewhere is taken over by the part that doesn't know what to do next. You never let yourself have a break, Tae, so I kinda forced one upon you."

Tae Joon began to pull his hoodie over his head. "Did you hear me complaining?" he asked, his voice muffled by the fabric.

He heard Elliott let out a huffy laugh. "No, no I did not. There was some moaning though."

Tae Joon dropped his arms in front of him, hoodie still gathered at the wrists and looked at Elliott. "What do you mean, anyway?"

Elliott rolled his shoulders. "Just... we make some progress and you get so excited but then we haven't got to the planning part yet and you... You go somewhere I can't follow, Tae. You get lost in what ifs, wondering how you can ever do what needs to be done and you don't come back until a plan starts taking shape." Elliott stepped a little closer. "It's not a bad thing. I understand, I do. I just... I don't like this part so much. I-"

Elliott stopped suddenly. 

"What?"

"You went to see Bloth, after I told you to sleep, you went to the med wing instead."

Tae Joon recalled mentioning the nurse. It probably hadn't occurred to Elliott earlier because Tae Joon had been doing a very good job of keeping his mind focused on other things. 

"I'm... I'm sorry. Are you mad?"

"Yeah, at me," Elliott said, walking towards Tae Joon and gently placing his fingertips against the muscles on his stomach. "Told you I was never going to touch you again, and then there I am, a few hours later with sore knees and my eyes watering." 

Tae Joon closed the small gap between them and kissed Elliott warmly. "It's because you love me," he risked, taking a page very much from Mirage's playbook. 

"I do," Elliott said with a frown and a nod. "But you know I'm an idiot, right?"

-

"I don't know what it means," Tae Joon said to Elliott as they sat side by side at the table. Caustic was not present, but everyone else was, with Pathfinder playing mother and ladling stew into everyone's bowls.

"But you're sure it was from her?" Makoa asked.

Tae Joon nodded. "My code was right there next to it." He stretched. "She's trying to tell me where she is. Home, as in a home computer, the one she's working from. But the other part..." He waved his hand vaguely, feeling the frustration rise in his chest again. Elliott had been right. This was the hard part. 

"Whispers. Gotta be a code name for something," Anita said. "Never heard it back in the day though, so I'd say it was someplace new." 

Tae Joon could feel Elliott watching him out of the corner of his eye, and he had to admit that Elliott had been right. He could feel frustration and worry creeping up on his again, feel his mind closing itself off to everyone else. He also caught the resolute look on Elliott's face that refused to let him do so.

"Alright," Elliott said, leaning in closer. "She's your sister, she knows a lot of what you know. She wouldn't give you a clue she knew you couldn't crack. If experience of siblings has taught me anything, she definitely thinks you're stupider than you are." 

Tae Joon nodded slightly, trying so hard not to slip beneath the dark grey waters of his own doubt as Makoa laid a hand on Elliott's shoulder. 

"Maybe we could ask Eve?" Pathfinder suggested, pouring water into Renee's glass for her. 

Everyone turned to look at Tae Joon. "Still no word on where she even is, which isn't the best news."

"But if she was going to sell us all out wouldn't she have done it by now?" Natalie said, playing with her food. 

Tae Joon had considered this. "Doesn't make sense for her to run, either, even if Octavio spooked her."

The group lapsed into silence. Tae Joon couldn't stop thinking and thinking, trying to make sense of everything, his food growing cold. 

-

Afterwards, Elliott and Tae Joon went back to the hacker's room. There had been a brief acknowledgment of the change between the two of them, and Tae Joon hadn't been surprised to see a lot of dark looks exchanged between the others, and a few mumbles of agreebleness that weren't overly heartfelt. He couldn't blame them; he and Elliott had been a mess since the start, and they'd all been an unwilling audience to the horror show, but one that cared about the players. Still, he felt awkward and embarrassed, like their relationship was something to be gawked at, and now that things between them were so much better, it felt heavy in his chest. 

Elliott didn't even attempt to engage with him once they were inside his room, and Tae Joon barely even noticed. The more he thought about it, the less sense Mila's message made, and he found himself back in the hold of their broken down ship, wondering if people we're overestimating him once more, if he was just going to end up letting everyone down. 

Elliott went to get ready for bed; it was something unspoken between them that there would be no more sleeping apart unless it was necessary, while Tae Joon went to glare at his computer. 

"You'll be ok if I..?" Elliott began behind him.

Tae Joon waved his hand without turning around. "Go to sleep."

He heard Elliott slip between the covers. "You need to sleep too, Tae," he said, his voice firm but quiet.

Tae Joon took a deep breath. "I will. I promise. Just... can't yet."

"I know," Elliott said behind him with a yawn.

-

It was just past midnight when Tae Joon gave in much sooner than he thought he would. The truth was, the cold feeling in his gut was making him long to crawl beneath the covers and curl up next to Elliott, and it got to the point where he was only fighting the impulse on principle. He was only avoiding it because he thought he should, as if comfort and a little peace was some sort of betrayal. That was what the problem had been in the first place. He felt guilty for every moment that he wasn't pulling himself to pieces trying to fix everything, but now he realised there was a line. A point he had to be careful not to cross, where need became want and that was when he really did start to fail. 

Elliott shifted slightly as he slid in beside him and turned his back on Tae Joon, so he slid his arm around Elliott's waist and pulled him as close as he dared without waking him. He didn't want to go where Elliott couldn't follow, not ever, because it was always so much darker when he did.


	14. Chapter 14

They were both roughly pulled from sleep by a frantic pounding at the door. Tae Joon jumped up at once, while Elliott groaned and rolled over, before reality kicked in and he stumbled up, too. 

"It's Renee!" came the urgent call from the other side of the door. Tae Joon pulled the door wide and Renee stood there, a vibrating mass of nervous energy, her face pale and her eyes misted and white.

"Is everything ok?" he asked her urgently as Elliott came to stand beside him, the same worried look etched on his face too. 

"I remembered," she said hurriedly as Tae Joon ushered her into the room, her voice weak. "It's like... I used to know it, you know, before. And it sounded so familiar..." She trailed off suddenly and clutched her head so violently she stumbled a little. Tae Joon held out his hands, taking her shoulder and her elbow as Elliott pulled Tae Joon's desk chair out so she could sit down. 

"Renee, are you ok?" he asked urgently, but she just waved a hand impatiently at him. Her breathing was still shallow though, her brow furrowed in pain, and Elliott looked somewhere between worried and annoyed. 

"Was it... The voices? Did they tell you something?" Tae Joon asked with a small shrug in Elliott's direction.

Renee huffed out a small breath. "No," she said. "Not this time."

"So what is it?" Elliott pressed.

"Whispers," Renee said, swallowing hard. Elliott passed her a bottle of water as she continued. "That's what they used to call the Phase programme, the engineers who worked on it. That's what the portals sounded like to them. Whispers." Another spike of pain seemed to shoot through her and she screwed up her eyes, driving her fisted hands into her temple. Elliott gently but firmly dragged it away again, while Tae Joon became increasingly more worried. He'd seen Renee have bad days, they all had, but this seemed so much worse. Her voice was shaking, her skin was cold and clammy, and when the pain shot through her it seemed all encompassing. 

"Renee, what's wrong?" he implored, as Elliott struggled to keep her hands still. There were pink marks next to her eyes where her knuckles had been. 

She let out a low moan, then shook herself almost violently before looking up. "I'm fine, listen to me," she said insistently. "The Labs. Singh Labs. That's where she is." She dragged her chin up to look at Tae Joon. "That's where Mila is."

Tae Joon felt something in his heart spike but then he took a long, slow, breath and lowered himself down to her eye level. "Renee, what is the matter with you?" he demanded as a fresh wave of pain seemed to take her over and her eyes rolled back in her skull.

He breath was short and ragged when she spoke again. "They keep telling me to stay away." She looked darkly between them both. "They're screaming."

-

Elliott all but forced Renee to go to the med wing, just to see if there was anything that could be done for her. He returned an hour later, his face lined with worry as Tae Joon sat at his computer, firing off as many messages as was safe to see what they could do about getting into the labs. He looked up as Elliott opened the door. 

"How is she?"

Elliott let out a soft sigh as he clicked the door shut behind him. "By the time I got her there she was... She couldn't even stand, Tae." Elliott looked sick. 

"Why would this happen to her? Why is it affecting her like this?"

Elliott shook his head. "I don't..." He trailed off, his eyes looking back at the door. "She's going to be alright, isn't she, Tae?"

And there it was. Elliott looking at him, asking him to swear that he wouldn't have to lose anyone else when they both knew he couldn't. The sudden deterioration in Renee's condition was not only worrying but bizarre. Renee had never really spoken about it, but the voices, while they hurt sometimes, had never seemed malicious, had never done anything this bad to her. 

"I don't know," Tae Joon said honestly. 

Elliott sat down heavily on the edge of Tae Joon's bed. "They had to sedate her," he mumbled. "It was the only way to stop her screaming."

-

Tae Joon didn't leave his room for the rest of the day. Elliott acted as the go between, telling everyone what had happened to Renee, asking Natalie if she knew of any way to get back into the Canyon undetected, and going to see the Renee herself whenever he had time. There was no change for most of the day, but by sunset she had woken up again and it seemed as though the voices had calmed. She was sitting up and talking and looking much better, Elliott was pleased to report. 

Elliott himsef looked exhausted and fractured by that point, and as Tae Joon's frantic messaging of anyone he could think of to help had turned up nothing, he did the only thing that seemed useful and held on to Elliott tightly, just existing in silence for a little while. 

They were both hungry and tired and completely burned out when Elliott's phone buzzed in his pocket. Reluctantly, he pulled himself away from Tae Joon and checked the message. Then he suddenly sat up a lot straighter. 

"What is it?" Tae Joon asked.

"It's Ajay - She's found Eve."

Tae Joon sat up straighter too. "What does she say?"

"That's pretty much it. 'Found Eve. She's alright. She just wanted to see her kid.'"

Tae Joon slumped a little. Eve again. Something was so wrong about her, but his mind refused to just throw her out. She was a problem, one it may have been too late to fix, but something had to be done. His mind seemed to take over from the fear in his heart for just a moment. "Ok. You should message her back, let her know about Renee. And tell her to make sure Eve stays put this time, there's a few people at your bar who can watch her, you know, the large kind with the scary smiles." He felt distinctly uncomfortable as he carried on. "We need to know if she's telling the truth, where she's been. It's getting too risky. Honestly, I hope the Syndicate have got something against her, just so we can use her safety as leverage. "

Elliott looked at Tae Joon strangely. 

"What?"

Elliott gave him a little shrug, and relaxed his features. "Sometimes it's a little scary to see the way your mind works." he admitted. 

Tae Joon felt himself bristle with defensiveness. "Someone has to do these things," he muttered.

This time it was Elliott who rolled his eyes. "I know, and it should be you. For better or worse, that's the way you have to think now and I wish you'd understand that I get it. I just... it would be, I dunno, nice, maybe, if you didn't have to." 

Tae Joon dropped his head into his hands. "One day, I swear, one day all of this will have been... I won't have to be like this anymore." 

Elliott ran a hand over Tae Joon's shoulders. "Right now we need you to be, I guess. We all need to be..."

"Paranoid bastards?" Tae Joon asked, raising his head to look at Elliott with a tired smile. 

"Well, I didn't want to say that but yeah, actually. I mean, I keep thinking, if I hadn't been so trusting, so stupidly vain that I didn't really care what might really be going on around me, what kind of people I'd sold my soul to in exchange for money and fame, maybe I would have realised something wasn't quite right. Come on, it's my job to try and put bullets in the skulls of my friends and when you think about it, that's pretty messed up."

"Its just a game, Elliott," Tae Joon said wearily. 

Elliott snorted. "It was supposed to be just a game, turns out it was research." He got to his feet heavily. "You need food," he said plainly. 

Tae Joon couldn't argue with the fact, but his stomach was in knots with anxiety. 

"Nothing solid, I promise," Elliott said, leaving the room. 

Tae Joon was concerned about Renee, but what she had told him had been lingering in the corners of his mind, clamouring for attention. He couldn't forget the fact that he had been there once already, right in the heart of the Labs, and he and Mila must have been closer than they had been in months. But not could he forget he was also the reason they couldn't go back there. It was just supposed to be a distraction, a way to make sure he could slip into the Games while they tried to fix what he had broken, if he didn't manage to destroy them completely. Of course they found a way to carry on, they always did, and all he had done was block off the only way to get his sister back. No-one was allowed in the old arena anymore, it was too dangerous, and even though he knew the Syndicate was working to make the place human-friendly once more, the public didn't seem to mind the change in scenery too much so they weren't exactly losing any sleep over it. 

Besides, if they had truly been stupid enough to hide their base of operations beneath the arena of their very public bloodsport, perhaps Tae Joon had even done them a favour. 

He rubbed his eyes in frustration. He tried to tell himself that this was a good thing. He knew where she was and that meant he could bring her home. But once again, there was such a struggle ahead of him, of them all, and with Renee the way she was already their team was taking hits. Bloodhound was pretty much fine, the medics had seen to that, but it was just one hurt after another, another strike against his conscience, another reason to feel guilty and worthless. 

The door opened once more and Elliott stepped inside. He had a look on his face that took Tae Joon just a moment to read before he realised. 

"What is it?" he asked cautiously. 

"Ajay said she's coming back." Elliott passed Tae Joon a huge mug of noodle soup. "She's really worried about Renee and... She thinks she should be here with her. She feels guilty, I think."

Tae Joon took the soup gratefully. "There's a lot of that going around," he muttered. "Will she be able come back? What about Octavio?"

Elliott gave Tae Joon a wry smile. "Ajay is pretty much everyone's physician here and you married her to the maniac," he said with a poke to Tae Joon's chest. 

"I mocked up a few papers, Elliott."

Elliott sighed. "Yes, it was all so romantic," he gushed stupidly. "Point is, I think that Doctor and Mr. Silva won't have any trouble getting back here." He scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "They might have to give an interview or two, though, as, jeez, newlyweds."

Tae Joon pulled a face. "It seemed like a good idea at the time," he said in a small voice. 

Elliott leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Eat your soup, or there will be a reckoning."

Tae Joon shook his head. "I'm not afraid of you," he said plainly. 

"Who said anything about me? I just told you... Ajay's coming home."

Tae Joon ate his soup.

-

Tae Joon woke up alone. It was still pitch dark outside, and he stretched out to feel the space next to him. It wasn't even warm. Alarmed, he sat up straighter in his bed, and his elbow crinkled against something on Elliott's pillow.

"I'm fine. Couldn't sleep."

Tae Joon read the note in the dim light from his computer screen. Just those four words, with no explanation as to where Elliott had gone. "And if he wanted you to follow him, he would be e told you," he muttered to himself. The thought stung a little, but not everything in Elliott's life was about him. 

Still, he was awake now too, and restless with concern for Elliott. To distract himself, he went back to his computer and pulled up Mila's message to him once more. For a while he just stared at it, letting it be some sort of strange comfort to him, a reassurance that she was still alive and capable of resistance. He read her little note over and over until inevitably his eyes wandered over to the rest of the message, the lies and filler that the Syndicate was trying to spoon feed him to keep him happy. He let his eyes drift over it for just a few minutes, and then his fingers tightened on the edge of his desk and he leapt up. 

-

When Elliott returned he once against found Tae Joon furiously stuffing some belongings into a bag. Morning was still a few hours away, and when he heard the door opening Tae Joon didn't even pause in what he was doing. 

"...The hell?" Elliott whispered as Tae Joon pushed an armful of shirts into the bag. "You're still leaving?" There was hurt and anger in his voice, but Tae Joon didn't even break his stride as he crossed the room and shoved the bag into Elliott's arms.

"No," Tae Joon replied. "You are."

He walked away again, sweeping his room for anything else that might belong to Elliott, before grabbing the man by the hand and leading him down the hall to his own room. 

"Tae, wait, slow down," Elliott protested, trying to pull his arm away. "Will you please just tell me what's going on?" 

Tae Joon roughly shoved Elliott into his own room and slammed the door behind them. 

When he turned around, his breath caught in his lungs. He'd seen this room adorned in Mirage, a shrine to the trickster, and he'd seen it destroyed and torn apart. He never thought he would see it like this.

The walls were bare, the desk and dresser are empty. There was nothing. Not only was the merchandise gone but everything else, too. The fan letters he held so dear, the pictures and photos. The room held nothing of Mirage but it seemed to have been purged of Elliott, too. It was just a bed, a desk, a lamp, a couch. No holo tech, no tools, no pictures of him and his mom. Tae Joon didn't have time to think about it, but that didn't stop him from feeling it on the edge of his skin. 

He pulled open the drawers and began pulling Elliott's clothes out. Shirts and pants, a few tanks and underwear. "Tae, stop!" Elliott shouted suddenly, and Tae Joon did, turning on his heel as Elliott threw the bag onto the bed. "Explain, now. Please."

Elliott looked determined but also concerned. "If you say I have to go, I will, but I deserve to know why."

Tae Joon turned back to the dresser and pulled open another drawer. "Those messages the Syndicate left for me to find. At first I thought it was just, you know, crap, stuff to make them look like they actually care, make me doubt that they were the bad guys but then... Then they dropped in that thing about Eve." He continued rummaging through Elliott's things. "It was so specific, I mean, why would they think I gave a damn about why she was gone unless they knew I had been speaking to her? And she knows so much Elliott, so much more than she should. She knows about Mystik and she knows about the ship and if she's relaying stuff back to the Syndicate then they know about... " He drifted off as his fingers closed around a folded piece of paper. He looked at Elliott, who smiled his permission for Tae Joon to open it. It had been taken from an article in a magazine, and it showed Elliott all kitted out, front and centre, while Tae Joon stood not far behind him, hands deep in his pockets, but he was looking at Elliott with a neutral expression. He turned slowly on the spot, still looking at the picture before looking up at Elliott's who had flushed red.

"Closest thing I could find to a real picture," he muttered. Tae Joon folded the photo back up and crossed the room, slipping the paper into Elliott's pocket with a kiss.

"They know about you. And me. Us," he whispered. 

"We didn't tell Eve," Elliott protested. "We didn't make a song and dance of it, and we've been so careful. Hell, last time we were in the ring I shot you in the head." Elliott's voice was high and terrified, and Tae Joon could see that he was already thinking that they would have to be apart again.

Tae Joon wanted to agree, but his paranoia refused to be convinced. "Maybe. But they mentioned you, and they mentioned her."

Elliott shook his head. "They also mentioned Natalie, and I notice she's not getting shipped off to parts unknown. "

Tae Joon paused. Perhaps he was overreacting about the danger to Elliott. But then, he always would. He was right about Eve, though, she must have sold them all out, and he had trusted her just because she let out a little human nature once upon a time. The sooner Ajay and Octavio got back to the complex, the better. It was becoming increasingly obvious to him that none of them were safe, and they couldn't stay here any longer. Once they were all together again, they were going to have to make a move, and he knew it would have to be on the Canyon. He felt woefully unprepared, terrified and lost, and the only thing that had made sense to him after his sudden revelation was that Elliott needed to be safe. 

Tae Joon breathed heavily and leant against the dresser. "I don't know what to do," he whispered into the darkness. "This isn't just waiting until a plan starts to form, this is me realising that they're ten steps ahead of us, that one wrong foot and Mila is dead. Elliott..." Tears were silently streaming down his face as he sank down to his knees, overwhelmed, and Elliott was at his side in a moment. He choked out a sob and looked over to his concerned love. "Help me."

-

At some point Elliott had forced him to lay down on his bed. He felt raw, shrivelled up from crying, hating himself and clearly it had gotten the better of him when he woke up, hardly remembering falling asleep, his head aching. There was a glass of water on Elliott's nightstand but the man himself was absent. That in itself was cause for concern; far be it for Tae Joon to place himself on any kind of pedestal, but he knew that Elliott wouldn't willingly leave him alone after he had broken down so completely. He dragged himself out of Elliott's bed, looking for his phone, a note, anything to explain Elliott's absence, and when he found nothing he stumbled to the door, bleary eyed and aching right through. 

There were sounds in the hall, heavy footsteps and doors being opened and shut. He peeked out of Elliott's room to find Natalie and Caustic standing a little way down the hall, Caustic's hand curled around the strap of a large duffel as Natalie babbled at him in worried French, her body tight with nerves. He stepped into the hall and collided with Bloodhound, who was walking backwards, talking to Anita who was close behind. 

"Apologies, Tae," Bloodhound said quickly, but they didn't stop to explain as they carried on down the hall, Anita still following. The soldier clapped Tae Joon smartly on the shoulder and muttered, "battle stations, Park," leaving him a bewildered mess in her wake.

Pathfinder whirred up noisily next, carrying several heavy looking bags as if they were nothing with Renee, looking a hell of a lot better than the last time Tae Joon had seen her, close behind.

They looked like they were going to walk straight past him, so Tae Joon cleared out the dryness in his throat with a cough. "Path," he said urgently. "What is happening?"

Pathfinder stopped. "We are leaving," he said, sounding absolutely thrilled.

Tae Joon ran a hand through his hair. "Why? What's going on?"

Renee shoved Pathfinder gently and completely ineffectually as the robot didn't even budge. "You go on Path, Tae and I will catch up."

Pathfinder nodded and carried on his way. "Didn't Elliott tell you?" Renee asked once the MRVN was gone.

Tae Joon shook his head, feeling dazed. "Where is he, is he alright?" he asked quickly. 

Renee gave him a small, affectionate smile. "He's fine. He's... Around. He messaged us all last night, said we were leaving. Said it had to be now or never. I thought you knew? I thought it was your plan?"

Tae Joon shook his head once more. "I... I figured some things out last night but... I need to speak to him."

Renee nodded. "Last I saw he was already heading out to the port."

"The port?"

Renee actually snorted. "Anita's fuming. Octavio flew the damn ship here last night. And not well, from the sound of it."

"Did Elliott ask him to? How does he even know how to?"

Renee shrugged. "Beats me. I don't get why Elliott didn't tell you all of this himself, though."

Tae Joon worried at his lower lip with his teeth. He didn't get it either.

Renee reached around him and opened up the door to Elliott's room once more. "Get yourself fixed up, you look like hell. You can head out with Path and me."

"Hasn't anyone noticed all this?" he hissed worriedly. 

"Doubt it," Renee said with a smirk. "Caustic set off like, so many traps in the lobby. Whole place is in lockdown, and that fool Isaac has been 'liasing' with Elliott about the whole thing over video."

"But you said Elliott was at the port."

Renee grinned. "Right. Maybe you've not met him yet. About yay high, sometimes goes by Mirage, specialises in making duplicates of himself?" she said sarcastically. 

Tae Joon frowned at her. "Ok, I get it," he said, as she finally pushed him into Elliott's room. He hunted around for something to wear and washed his face over the sink. He was still feeling shaky from the night before, and now everything was moving so quickly he wasn't sure if anyone was safe or what the hell was going on. He had to trust that Elliott knew what he was doing, and as brain alerted him with more and more worrying facts, he found himself somehow remaining calm. 

It was obvious that the sudden move had more behind it that Elliott's desire to make Tae Joon feel like something was happening. While he had been asleep, Elliott had either discovered something or realised something that meant staying where they were was the least safe thing for them to do. It must have been bad enough that the only person Elliott trusted to help them out was Octavio, and the piloting skills that no one even knew he had, and he hadn't told Tae Joon because he clearly thought it would just break him apart again. The thought made his stomach churn. It was time to stop playing at being strong, to stop identifying things around him that he thought made him weak and actually find some strength inside regardless. Being in love with Elliott, his sister being gone, all of that didn't make him less. It didn't change what he had to do, and he hadn't realised how much he had been leaning on those things to justify how scared and useless he let himself feel sometimes. 

There was no time to plan or strategise, and nowhere near enough information to do those things with. They'd had enough training in the ring, but that was the only thing they had going for them. Tae Joon ran down the hall past everyone to his room to find his phone.

A missed call and a voice message.

-

No point waking you until Tav got here. Got a message saying that Pathfinder's getting an event. Last time I did one of those, there were a lot of behind closed doors meetings, things I was supposed to say and do, things they wanted me to wear. Seems like a way to off the poor guy to me. Maybe. Asked Path about it, he said they told him yesterday, said they wanted him to go down to the med bay while we were all at training for his usual upload. Didn't know he could look scared, Tae, but-"

-

The phone beeped as Elliott ran out of time to leave his message. Tae Joon ran a hand through his messy hair. Elliott was right, it was time to move. No more pretending or lying, the Syndicate was watching him so closely now, and if he was going to get Mila back he couldn't go alone. 

They all had to come. He felt uneasy thinking it, but the others were his bargaining chips now. As Isaac had said, the Games could hardly stand to lose anymore Legends, and the whole thing would come tumbling down if they lost them all. He was trying not to think of them as insurance, as protection, as the only way to muster enough force to rescue Mila.

He considered briefly trying to bluff Mila's freedom out of the Syndicate, tell them he knew everything but he was willing to keep it a secret if they let Mila go. Then they could just disappear, run so far and so fast that the Syndicate could never catch them. There were so many reasons why he could never do that, starting with the imminent danger to everyone else and working all the way down to the insane belief that they would ever let loose ends out in the world. 

His drone was gone, his laptop too. He was certain Elliott had taken them. He swept his eyes around his room and with a small nod to himself, he left to find Pathfinder and Renee. 

-

There was a service door near the back of the complex, the same door Pathfinder had carried his failed attempt at pancakes through when he had been disposing of them. It was still tightly locked, but Pathfinder, in a terrifying display of strength, wrenched it from its hinges as if it were made of paper. The robot tossed it to one side while Tae Joon and Renee stood there for a moment, open mouthed. 

"Lets go friends!"

They all ran, as fast as they could, as if there was someone on their heels. Tae Joon wasn't even sure where they were headed, but Renee was following instructions only she could hear. They made their way along the edges of the complexes boundaries, slowing as the breath of the human element of their party began to run out. 

"Here, now," Renee said urgently, pulling Tae Joon behind a hedge and willing Pathfinder to do the same. A small group of Apex security sauntered past, complaining audibly about Caustic and his experiments as they crouched low. 

"Come on," Renee urged, and they bolted, not really stopping or talking until they reached the port. 

The ship was there, idling as they threw themselves against the door. They were the last to arrive, and the look of relief on Elliott's face as they came aboard was hard to miss. Even harder to miss was the way he disregarded everyone as he crossed over the grated floor and gathered Tae Joon in his arms.

"You're late," he muttered.

Tae Joon had never cared less who was watching. "I'm here now," he whispered, and he felt Elliott relax all around him. Then, still not caring, he gently pushed Elliott away and fixed him with a stare that could have melted steel.

"Now can you please tell me what the hell you were thinking?"

Elliott's smile faltered and he glanced around at his fellow legends for help. When none was forthcoming, and when he realised he was going to have to do this in front of everyone, he shuffled a little closer.

"We've been hovering for ages, Tae, little battles and we're getting nowhere. I thought maybe because it was your sister you weren't feeling like we could take any risks but..." Elliott trailed off but all around him some of the others were looking like they agreed. Tae Joon relented. Maybe he had been to hesitant to make any big decisions because he knew how much he had to lose. The threat to Pathfinder was pretty much imminent now, and he couldn't keep sending the others away one by one to keep them safe without starting to arouse suspicion. With a grim stab of wonder at his own stupidity, he thought of how he had tried to send Elliott away, and how the loss of their darling would have sent the Syndicate into fits. 

Tae Joon still felt so uneasy, but he couldn't find any reason to not let this happen besides the threat it posed to Mila. He'd been teetering on the edge of doing anything because the moment the Syndicate realised what was happening, they could very well kill her on principle. 

Of course Elliott was right. They needed to make the first move, display some sort of upper hand just to keep Mila breathing. He sighed as he looked around at the others. They were pretty much his hostages now, a threat of 'play nice or your cash cows aren't coming home.' 

Anita stepped forward. "We've got the ship, we're all here, Eve could have told them so much by now and we can't afford to sit on our thumbs anymore. Elliott's right, Park, now or never." 

Tae Joon swallowed and couldn't look at Elliott when he spoke next. They'd want them all back, of course they would, but he really was the star prize. "I will have to use you all as leverage," he said in a low voice. "Please understand that it is the last thing I wish to do, but it is necessary."

Renee tossed her head and Bloodhound took a step closer to him.

"We understand entirely," they said. "It seems to me that it is better."

Caustic coughed before speaking. "Sooner leverage than a test subject," he spat.

There were other general murmurs of agreement, a moment while Renee explained what Tae Joon meant to Pathfinder, and then Anita was slipping into the pilots seat and heading out to a remote location far from the complex, far from everyone so they could regroup.

Tae Joon set to work getting his computer hooked up while everyone else had a fond reunion with Octavio and Ajay, who seemed over the moon to be back amongst them all. There was a lot of muttering and hushed conversation, regarding Eve, mostly, but also whether or not Elliott had bamboozled them all again as they had all hauled ass pretty quickly under the impression that it was Tae Joon's plan. 

For his part, Elliott had the unmistakable air of someone who was convinced they had just majorly screwed up but was trying their best not to let on.

"Tomorrow they would have taken Path to pieces," he insisted. "We couldn't let that happen."

Caustic folded his arms. "Aside from the fact that it is a machine," he started snidely, "placing his AI in another body would not mean he was dead, surely?"

Pathfinder whirred at his side. "I imagine they would pull my memories apart, maybe even delete a few. I know from what friend Elliott told me that they are not happy about my search for my creator, and they would see that I knew it was them if they were to look inside my files. If they start taking away my memories, it makes me not me anymore."

Tae Joon couldn't help himself from looking at Elliott at Pathfinder's pronouncement, and he wasn't the only one. Elliott shook it off quickly. 

"He's right," he said heavily. 

"He also knows far too much. Letting the Syndicate poke around his memory banks would endanger us all," Tae Joon said quickly.

"I am a liability," Pathfinder said, and that was it. The words that reinforced them all, because no one could ever remember the MRVN saying something sadly before.

Caustic rolled his eyes and retreated to the bunks, but everyone knew he was feeling the same way they all were. This really was it, the time to take a stand and fight back against the overwhelming enemy that had played them for so long.

-

Elliott had found somewhere nondescript deep within the Wreckoning to continue to liase with Isaac. He was spinning some story about how he had planned on taking them all to his bar for a relaxing day off before the next match, and no one else on the ship could go near Elliott in case they gave the game away. The others spent the time getting themselves settled. The ship was to be their home for the foreseeable future, and they had to be prepared. Tae Joon sought out Renee and between them they compiled everything they could remember about the labs beneath King's Canyon.

Anita landed the ship on a nondescript little airstrip about an hour's journey from the Paradise Lounge. It made sense to go there if that was where the Syndicate was expecting them to be, and frankly, Tae Joon was itching to catch up with Eve and have a little chat.

With nothing else to do, Tae Joon risked poking his head in on Elliott. He was sitting on the floor in his seclusion, back against the beaten walls, phone still in hand and looking troubled.

"Are you alright?" Tae Joon asked.

Elliott smiled at him. "Fine," he muttered. "Told them I'd closed the bar for a private function. You all need to check in though before Isaac has an aneurysm."

"Wouldn't want that," Tae Joon muttered darkly. He had words of nervousness on the tip of his tongue and he was doing all he could not to let them spill out.

Elliott's face contorted into an exasperated frown, and Tae Joon was fast realising that this was a new expression that Elliott had cultivated solely for him.

"What?" Elliott asked flatly.

Tae Joon tied his fingers into knots. "This isn't... it's stupid."

"No, you can tell me," Elliott insisted softly.

"I just did. This plan is stupid. It's reckless."

"Oh."

Tae Joon wasn't doing a very good job. "We can't just up and leave, we should go to the bar, settle down, come up with a plan and go back."

"Yep. And they can tear Path to pieces and parade me about to sell tee shirts while mom's still not even frozen solid yet and then, hey, if you wait long enough, maybe they'll do your sister too, after they've enslaved Bloth and dissected Anita's brain and destroyed Ajay's -"

Tae Joon held up his hands. "You've made your point," he growled. 

Elliott sighed. "I don't want to fight," he said, moving a little closer and testing the waters by taking Tae Joon's hand. "Last night... I was awake for hours and you kept twitching and muttering in your sleep and I was still on the fence about this whole thing and then I saw... saw you crying. What kind of messed up do you have to be to cry in your sleep? I couldn't stand it, man. I had to do something. Syndicate's not stupid, they know something is up but as long as we all check in and play nice, we should be ok. They won't be expecting us to make a move 'cause honestly? Yeah, it is stupid. We're far from ready and we don't have much in the way of resources but all we've got is the best we're gonna get."

He glanced around, but they were still hidden away a dark corner of the ship, a utility space that had yet to become cluttered, so Elliott pressed a kiss to the corner of Tae Joon's mouth. "You're smart as hell, but maybe it's time now to be an idiot."

-

Tae Joon wasn't going to jump in with both feet to idiocy, however. He wanted intel, and he needed to work hard to get it. They had maybe a day before the Syndicate began to push back, their precarious position of not being in possession of their legends likely to only hold them in place for so long.

"The main thing," he told them all as they were gathered in the centre of the ship, the only absences being Elliott and Octavio who had gone to collect Eve, "is finding out what we'll be up against once we get there. We need to know what kind of security the place has, how many people, where they're keeping Mila."

Anita rolled her shoulders. "Could give you some info, but it'll just be speculation based on how these sorts of things used to work."

"It's better than nothing," Tae Joon replied.

"Be useful to have a man on the inside," Renee muttered. "Anyone I might know in those labs isn't likely to be my biggest fan."

Makoa, who had been strangely silent for far too long, suddenly sat up a little straighter. "So we get a man in," he said slowly.

Tae Joon looked at him. "None of us can do it, we'd be exposed at once."

Makoa laughed, and the sound was so familiar that it felt almost intrusive, a remnant of days long gone. "I've got someone else in mind."

Tae Joon chewed on his lip. "We have to be careful who we trust, Makoa," he said gently.

"We can trust him," Makoa insisted. "I trust him with my life."

It transpired that Makoa's husband was also part of the S.A.R.A's and seeing as most of the money Makoa made went into the organisation, he had positioned himself as less of the go outside and help type, and more of an accountant. 

"He hates sitting behind a desk, but someone had to make sure the money's going where it's needed. You'd be surprised how immoral some people can be."

Tae Joon still couldn't see how an accountant was going to insert himself into a top secret, underground military installation in a day and report back to them on all that he saw, but he was willing to hear Makoa out.

"The Syndicate makes donations to all kinds of worthy organisations, the S.A.R.A'S included, under the guise of corporate responsibility, but it never hurts to grease the propaganda machine, right?" Makoa said. "I mean, I was buyin' it." He looked at the floor, darkly. "Maybe there's a mistake. Maybe some funds get routed through the S.A.R.A'S instead of stopping, and he pays the place a little visit to make sure there's nothing untoward going on."

Tae Joon sighed. "How would he even get there?"

"I'm a big guy, he's... not so much. One small fella in one small transport ain't gonna be noticed. They must have a lotta air traffic over there anyway."

Tae Joon shook his head. "They'll just arrest him, lock him up."

Makoa nodded. "I imagine they will. Let's hope there's someone in there he can make friends with."

Shaky plans upon shaky plans, this one with the intention to get someone important, someone loved, actually locked up and in need of rescue. "He finds Mila, tells her what we plan to do, maybe she can tell you what it's like in there. What to expect. Maybe she can even help. There'd be no point taking down their defences when she had no back up, nowhere to run, but from what you've said about her it's definitely something she can pull off."

He felt Ajay's arm on his shoulder. "It's a good plan Tae."

Tae Joon wasn't so sure about that, but it was the best one they had.

-

Makoa left with the others to go to the Lounge. He was going to meet his husband there, explain the plan and, Tae Joon thought, dropping his head into his hands, say goodbye and hope it wouldn't be for the last time. Elliott and Octavio still hadn't returned, but Tae Joon wanted the ship to be as fully stocked as possible and had sent them all out to pick up as much as they could carry in the city. It was noon, and they could risk waiting no longer than tomorrow night before they made their move.

Elliott wasn't with Octavio when he and Eve got back to the ship. The woman in question looked ragged and exhausted, but her wounds from before seemed to have healed. Elliott explained that he had thought the interview would go smoother without Octavio in the picture, and Tae Joon had to agree.

Elliott dropped her unceremoniously into a chair and went and stood a little behind Tae Joon, hands folded over his chest.

"Where have you been?" Tae Joon demanded without preamble.

"I went to see my son," Eve replied defiantly. 

"Right, and where exactly is he, by the way? I take it the Syndicate is keeping him comfortable?"

Eve shifted about uncomfortably. "I didn't tell them anything. Anything they didn't already know, anyway."

"And what do they know?"

Eve looked at him, then turned her head to look at Elliott. "You're not exactly breaking out the thumb screws here, Mr Park," she said evenly. 

"No, but I've been thinking. I think when you first came to see us, you were genuinely trying to be on our side. They'd hurt you, but you're just an untrained spin doctor, not someone they thought they had to keep under too close a guard, so imagine how pissed off they were when you escaped?" Tae Joon was risking a lot, but he could only hope he had enough details in the right place to convince her. "Those scrapes Ajay saw on your leg, you got them climbing through a window or something, right? And you knew who I was really because they always have, and you knew they would never stop coming for you or your son because you opened your mouth when they said they were planning a murder." He glanced quickly over to Elliott, but he just shifted on his feet, the only indication that the words had landed being a tightening of his fingers on his arms. 

"I don't know how they found out, but wherever your son was, they found him, didn't they? And you went to them to exchange what you knew about us for him?"

Eve looked ashamed, so much so that Tae Joon felt guilty.

"Of course she did," Elliott piped up behind him. "Mom woulda done the same for me."

"Is he at the Labs too?" Tae Joon asked softly.

Eve sniffed. "No... he's somewhere else. Another place of theirs. I mean, he's eight years old, not exactly a flight risk, right?" She let out a small sob.

"Alright," Tae Joon said. "What do they know, and why did you come back?"

"I told them you knew Mila was still alive. Told them you wanted to save her, but you didn't know that the files you were getting weren't real. As far as they know, you're just a lost little boy without anything to hold on to. Played it up pretty bad. Said I went to you because I thought you could help me, came back to bargain when I realised you couldn't." 

"And they sent you back."

Eve nodded. 

"So now what?"

"Now I find out the next step of your plan, feed them any info that might let them get one over on you, and report back."

"What about Octavio? Did you mention where he was?"

Eve shook her head. "Didn't have to. He updates his social media more than he changes his pants I bet." She leaned back in the chair. "They.... They were growing tired of him, he wasn't drawing the right kinds of fans." They both looked at her questioningly. "Too young," she explained. "Rather print out his selfies than buy his merch, you know, like his status instead of placing bets. Wouldn't have been long before he was, uh, removed."

Tae Joon shifted, his brows tight in anger. 

"Why are you telling us all this so freely? Do you think I would be so stupid as to tell you our next step?"

Eve shook her head quickly. "Don't tell me anything. I'm not stupid. I'm scared. I played along because I wanted my son to be safe, but we're not ever going to be safe. I'll get him back, but I'll do it far away from all of you. They don't care about me so much. Bringing him home... I can find people out there who'll help me for a price, they won't be watching me as closely. But I'm telling you now, if you try and break into those Labs, you're gonna get yourselves killed." She paused, looking guilty. "That's where she is, by the way."

Tae Joon closed his eyes against her words. He knew he should care about her plight, knew he should help, but her words froze his blood in his veins. Renee's voices had warned him against going back and now Eve was saying much the same thing.

"So you're going to leave here and expect us to trust that you won't go back to them?"

Eve frowned. "And tell them what? They won't want me back there without information, and once I give it to them my son and I are as good as dead. I know where he is. I'm going to get him or die trying, and then we're both gonna run, as far as we can."

-

Tae Joon and Elliott had a conversation in the shadows about what they should do. For her part at least, Eve made no move to leave the ship, and waited out their judgement on one of the ratty flight chairs.

"You think she's telling the truth?" Elliott hissed.

"I don't think anyone's telling the truth by default," Tae Joon replied, "but like she said, she doesn't know what our next step is."

Elliott ran his hands over his mouth. "She will when you ask her about the Labs. I mean, sounds like she's been inside."

Tae Joon rolled his shoulders and looked back towards the chairs. Eve was too far back to hear them properly, but she was still watching them carefully. 

"I know we should keep her here, I do, but..."

Elliott sniffed slightly. "Yeah. Her kid."

"We have to let her go, right?"

Elliott nodded. "She needs to get him back, we can't be the reason she never gets to him on time. We're not the bad guys."

Tae Joon could feel the unspoken words that were left hanging in the air. "I have a contact back at your bar, they will help her, and, well, keep an eye on her."

Elliott shrugged. "Best of both worlds I guess."

-

Makoa returned to the ship having spoken with his husband. He seemed to be a little reluctant now he realised just how dangerous the Labs were likely to be, but he stowed it all in the face of what needed to be done.

Tae Joon couldn't get his head around it, and couldn't seem to stop thanking him either. 

"Your husband has never even met me," he said, as Makoa helped Eve with what little she had and headed for the door. He was going to escort her back to the bar and put her in touch with Tae Joon's friend. 

"He's... he's been in a state since I told him the truth. Really not the sort of guy to just sit on his hands."

Tae Joon swallowed. "And he can do this, yes?"

"He wasn't always in the admin side of things," Makoa said. "He's good."

Tae Joon had spoken to Eve a little more after his and Elliott's conversation, mostly to find out what she knew about the Labs, but she said she had only been there once a long time ago. Apparently, though, it was largely empty, an automated facility but with enough armed guards to cause them problems however and a few bots to cause them even more. 

Now, as she turned to leave with Makoa, Tae Joon stopped her with a hand on her elbow. "When Mila is home we will find you and help you if you do not sell us out. Otherwise, you are on your own."  
She nodded shortly at him and left with Makoa.

Elliott breathed a sigh of relief once the door had shut behind them. He looked tired but still highly strung. Tae Joon could see the way the muscles in his shoulders were crowded beneath his shirt, the way his jaw kept flexing and ticking.

He felt much the same way himself. He glanced around the ship,seeing all the extra bags and boxes that were starting to fill the space. It was starting to get late, and he turned to Elliott.

"Suppose we should think about heading up to the bar ourselves," he said, head still buzzing with far too much information. He was exhausted. It was early enough to think that if he climbed into bed now, he'd be up before sunrise and could get started on everything they needed to do. He still ached from his terrible night of sleep, and he had been existing on sips of water and chips all day long.

Elliott was actually looking a little sheepish.

"What?" Tae Joon asked warily.

"Ok, here's the thing. Been sort of getting the vibe that tomorrow's gonna be, well, probably the most dangerous thing any of us has ever done," he began nervously.

Tae Joon wasn't quite sure where Elliott was headed with this. He had made no secret of the threat they were all about to face. 

"Yes, very possibly," he said, a small spike of guilt stabbing at his chest. 

Elliott was actually starting to flush a little now. "Thing is... just, well," he swallowed, shifting his feet. "I kind of asked everyone to stay at the bar tonight and we're, uh, we're gonna stay here. Alone. Together. If you want." The words spilled out of him in a rush.

Tae Joon took pity on him. "Are you using our impending life or death situation to get in my pants?" he asked slyly.

"Yes, absolutely," Elliott replied without hesitation. "Is it working?"

Tae Joon tipped his head from side to side. "Perhaps," he said. "But I need something to eat, and I need to send out about a thousand messages."

"Alright, fair enough," Elliott replied. I'll head out and grab us something, you do your nerd stuff."

Tae Joon frowned at him. "Funny guy," he said wryly.

Elliott winked at him as he made his way to the door. "You know it."

-

Elliott returned a little while later with pasta and pork chops, while Tae Joon finished sending the last of his messages. Right now Makoa's husband was very likely on the end of a very pointed Syndicate interview, and the thought sat heavy in his stomach.

Elliott slipped his hands over Tae Joon's shoulders and pressed his lips softly to the short hairs at the nape of his neck. "All done?" he asked.

Tae Joon closed his eyes and tilted his head back just a little. "I think so," he sighed. 

"Good," Elliott said, standing up straight. "Because I bought food and, well, ok, water instead of wine 'cause it's hard to infiltrate an evil lair with a hangover, and, well, I also bought me, so I think you're all set."

Tae Joon turned in his seat. "Is this a date?" he asked shrewdly.

Elliott smirked. "Well, after the getting together, screwing like rabbits, breaking up, screwing a bit more, getting back together again and then even more, well, you know, I figured it was about time we had one."

Tae Joon laughed. "Fair enough," he said. A brief flicker of anxiety rippled through his chest and Elliott must have caught the accompanying look on his face because he pulled Tae Joon by the hand to sit next to him on the busted old seats.

"I know," he began gently, his thumbs rubbing small circles across Tae Joon's knuckles. "And you know this is just me trying to take your mind off of it," he continued. Tae Joon felt himself becoming resigned to everything that Elliott was saying. "Way I see it," Elliott said gently, pulling Tae Joon a little closer so his head was on Elliott's shoulder. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Tae Joon's head. "You can tie yourself in knots about it, or you and me can just be you and me. If not tonight, then when, yeah?" 

Elliott was right. There was no telling what might happen tomorrow, what kind of state they could end up in. Who would come back, who would get hurt. It was an awful cloud of fear, weighing heavily over him and making him afraid. 

He tilted his head to kiss Elliott. "Ok," he said. "Let's have a date."

-

After they had eaten and Tae Joon had checked his computer once more despite Elliott's protests, Elliott led him down into the hold. He took with them a thick blanket, soft enough to negate the harsh metal of the floor grating, and spread it out in the darkened space. Tae Joon sat down and watched as Elliott began to fiddle with some device or other, his chin on his hands as Elliott spoke about nothing at all, having become aware very early on in their relationship that his voice was one of the few things Tae Joon had ever found that could keep his anxiety from overwhelming him. 

The hold was dark except for the few red safety lights that glowed along the walls, and when Elliott was done with whatever it was he was doing, he sat back against the wall and held his arms out in invitation. Tae Joon sat between his legs, his back against Elliott's chest as the other man wrapped him tightly in his arms. 

The hold was a large space with a high ceiling, designed to carry cargo, so it was hard and bare and not really very human friendly. Elliott made a small waving gesture with his hand as Tae Joon was beginning to wonder what he was planning, and suddenly air in front and above them was filled with shimmering stars.

Tae Joon didn't say anything. He doubted that he could, but he tightened his hands on top of Elliott's own as Elliott pressed his mouth to Tae Joon's still clothed shoulder. It was perhaps a little too soppy and stupid for the pair of them, but it wasn't so much about the holograms themselves as who had made them and why.

"Love you," Elliott murmured against Tae Joon's ear.

Tae Joon felt a warmth spread through him like fire. His heart felt as though it were about to burst through his chest any second. He let out a breath of something he couldn't quite explain, like letting go of an ache, and he closed his eyes and held on to Elliott even tighter.

"I love you," he whispered in return.

-

It wasn't long before Tae Joon had turned around, the beautiful spectacle all around them forgotten as hands and lips and teeth were used without holding back. It wasn't a desperate thing, but it was still somehow urgent, not because of need but want. Tae Joon wanted to feel Elliott against him, wanted to take him in his hands, wanted to kiss and bite and suck and love over every inch of him, commit him to memory using only his tongue, taste him, bitter and sweet all at once. Desire unrestrained, because resisting Elliott, the part of Elliott that was purely physical, his looks, his body, his smile, was not something Tae Joon was ever going to be very good at. He loved Elliott, loved him for his mind, his heart, his charm, but in that moment it was nothing compared to the basic lust he felt for him. He never wanted to touch anyone else for the rest of his days, because they could never measure up to everything that Elliott was. His breath was harsh and ragged in his lungs as Elliott moved against him, his fingers clawing into the blanket below, his back sheened in sweat. 

He cried out Elliott's name and it echoed through the hold, as Elliott's breath caught in his throat and he became frantic, his own release not moments behind.

They lay there, panting and sweating, surrounded by the stars of Elliott's own creation, and swapped oaths of love until they fell asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Sleeping in the hold was a very bad idea. They awoke before dawn had truly broken, roused by the various aches and pains that had burrowed into their muscles overnight. Tae Joon all but dragged a very grumpy Elliott out of bed, as no amount of kind words or good sex was going to abate the nerves that had taken root in his stomach this time. 

He gathered his clothes together and dressed quickly, as behind him Elliott followed suit at a much slower rate, as if he were reluctant to leave the hold and face the reality of what they had to do.

"Come on," Tae Joon urged him once the last boot had been laced. Elliott slipped his fingers through Tae Joon's, but the hacker just looked at him with a pained expression. "Makoa," he said miserably.

Elliott took a deep breath and nodded. Of course he understood that they couldn't expect the man to get through this on own. If it had been one of them in that situation, having to wait, helpless and unknowing while the other essentially threw themselves to the wolves... Makoa was strong, kind and brave, but he was also human, and right now he was probably scared and angry and sick with guilt.

They left the ship and made the journey to the bar. It was a long walk, and with no reason not to Tae Joon didn't pull his hand from Elliott's, letting his fingers rest lazily even as they strode purposefully and at some speed. He was trying so hard not to think it, to believe that Elliott had faith in him and the fact that he would come home after tonight, but the truth was plain to see. In his head Ellliott was imagining over and over how it would feel when he woke up tomorrow to find that he had lost the last person he had left in the whole world.

As they got nearer to the bar, Tae Joon slowed them both down and pulled Elliott into a small alleyway off the road.

Elliott raised his eyebrows but for once his heart really wasn't in the flirty gesture, and the idea was actually quite painful for Tae Joon to confront.

"What's... what's on your mind?" Elliott asked, as Tae Joon finally released his hand and began to pace back and forth in front of him. 

Tae Joon sighed and ran his hand over the back of his neck. Then he stopped himself and turned to look at Elliott in his searching brown eyes.

"Afterwards," he said gently.

Elliott cocked his head to one side. "What do you mean?"

Tae Joon's hand fell to his side and he resumed his pacing. "After tonight, when all this is done... I wish that could be it, that it could all be over."

Elliott took a small step closer to him. "Yeah, I wish that too," he muttered.

Tae Joon turned and grabbed both of Elliott's hands in his own. "No... listen. I need to tell you... I need to... to..." He swallowed, tears thick in his eyes.

"I wish you and I could run away. I wish we could find somewhere so far away and just... be. And I hate that we can't. I hate that we're going to have so many more days like this, days where we're afraid and running and hurting, where not just us but the other people we love are in danger, forever and ever until one way or another, this thing works out. I hate that I've made your life into this."

Elliott just stared at him for a moment. Then he took a step forward, hands to himself, a deep breath collecting in his chest before he spoke.

"No one should have to live like this," he said, his voice heavy. "But we do. We can wish we didn't until doomsday, but that won't change it. Yeah, it's hard and it's gonna get harder, and hurt more, but then we'll have days like today, where we're gonna get Mila home and those are the ones that count. Days like the first time I kissed you, days like when you told me you loved me, those are the ones that matter. It's not great, but it's not all bad either. One day it's gonna be you, me, a little house somewhere full of holograms and all your nerd crap, where we don't have to get out of bed before noon, and you're never gonna stop being sore if I have my way but we gotta get through all this first." He gently took Tae Joon's hand and held it tightly between both his own. "You're worth all of it, Tae."

Tae Joon looked at him, his heart pounding with more love than he ever thought he was capable of, and it seemed like the only thing to do was to surge forward and press Elliott against the wall with a deep, desperate kiss. He couldn't quite bring himself to let go of all of the bitterness and fear that twisted in his gut like poison, but Elliott was right, in a way. And if Elliott, who had lost something he could never get back to these bastards, was willing to see a day when things might be better, then he should be able to as well. 

Elliott pushed him away gently, eyes wide and grinning like a fool. "Ok, you're gonna have to cool your jets or we're not gonna make it to the bar." 

Tae Joon nodded. It really didn't take much for kisses given out of love to turn into something a lot more between the two of them, and right now they were desperately needed elsewhere.

-

When they arrived at the bar the atmosphere hit them like a wall. Everyone was tense and quiet, and at the centre of it all Makoa Gibraltar sat, still as the rock he so often claimed to be, his eyes fixed on the small laptop in front of him.

"Anything?" Tae Joon asked into the silence.

Makoa looked up, his face painted with worry. "Not since last night. He checked in when he arrived at the Canyon. They know who he is, though, so hopefully they won't do anything to hurt him. If anything, they'll probably try to make nice but..."

"But they also won't let him leave," Tae Joon acknowledged with a small nod.

Gibraltar moved on his chair while Renee came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "That was the plan though. Just gotta hope they're stupid enough to put him close enough to Mila."

Pathfinder, who had been standing behind the bar so still that Tae Joon hadn't even realised he was there at first, suddenly moved. "Could you not use me to send her another message?" 

Tae Joon walked over to him. "We don't have the time, Path," he said. He knew that Pathfinder, for however much he was 'just a machine', was yet somehow desperate to be of use to Tae Joon, to prove that he was more than something that could endanger them or that needed babysitting. Tae Joon reached up and patted him on the shoulder with some difficulty. "You're going to be vital when we move in tonight," he assured the MRVN.

Pathfinder's screen flickered to its loved up smiley face for a second. Tae Joon suddenly felt for him, a rush so entirely unexpected, that a robot with an AI so complex he had taught himself to genuinely feel was limited to how he could express his whole range of emotions to only three or four picture cards. When they got out of this he was going to do something to remedy that. With a soft exhale of breath, it suddenly hit him that once the Syndicate could no longer get their hands on Pathfinder, it was only natural that his maintenance and care would fall to Tae Joon, just like the human element of their group was cared for by Ajay. 

He felt a sudden, strange calm wash over him as once again be admitted to himself that Elliott was right. There was going to be an afterwards, no matter what happened tonight, and he was ready for it because, as he looked around the room at the strangest group of resistance he had ever been a part of, he knew that no matter how hard it got, he was far from alone now.

"Call Isaac," he said to Makoa.

The man in question looked over at him. "What?"

"Call him. Ask him how your husband's work is going. Keep it friendly, say you hope he'll be back in time to join our celebration here. Let him know you know exactly where he is and what he's doing."

Makoa's eyes grew wide and a small smile began to spread across his face. "Yeah, alright," he said. He took his phone and walked to a quiet corner of the room, while the rest of them took the unspoken cue to start moving around and make themselves busy, offering some believable background noise.

Elliott crossed over to Tae Joon and took his hand. He didn't say anything, but Tae Joon felt warm under his gaze. Elliott was proud of him, he felt it as sure as anything, and despite the impending trial they were all about to face, he had never been so certain of anything in that moment as how much he loved him. He loved Elliott more than he had ever thought was possible, and he was determined that they were going to make it work.

Natalie came over looking a little awkward, as though uncertain if she was intruding.

"May I... may I have a word, Tae Joon?" she asked meekly.

Elliott released his hand and smiled at the engineer before moving away to speak to Bloodhound, possibly about the mess their raven was making on the bar.

"What's on your mind, Natalie?"

She cast her eyes to the floor. "I... I am scared," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I am going to help, and I cannot let them get away with the terrible things they have done, but the more I think about it, the more I realise how much the odds are stacked against us and I..." She faltered, and Tae Joon felt a pang in his chest at the tears that were filling her shining, blue eyes. "Since papa, this is the only family I know. It hurt so much to lose him. I do not think I could stand to lose anyone else."

Tae Joon glanced around, but no one else seemed to be watching them. "I am scared, too, scared for all of you. But I will do as much as I can to protect you all."

She sniffed and lifted her head to offer him a watery smile. "I know," she said. "But that does not mean you can."

Tae Joon hesitated, his hand hovering over her wrist, but she leaned almost imperceptibly closer, giving him permission, and he lowered his hand and squeezed gently in reassurance. "I will try with all that I have, Natalie."

He glanced over at Renee, who had now started watching them. For whatever reason, Natalie gravitated towards both her and the scientist more than any of the others, and his words would not be as comforting to her as theirs. Renee took his unspoken signal and came over.

"You ok, Nat?" she asked gently. 

Natalie nodded. "I am being silly," she said, her voice muted.

Tae Joon moved his hand from her wrist to her shoulder. "You're being smart," he said, his voice firm but understanding. 

He took his hand away as Renee took her to a booth in the corner and sat with her. Renee wasn't afraid; Tae Joon didn't think he had ever met anyone as fearless as the woman, and he was grateful for that strength, a strength she would easily give to the others at a moment's notice. They all had their roles to play.

Makoa rejoined the group, looking distinctly more like his old self, certain and strong. He relayed the details of his conversation, and sounded pleased to report that Isaac had mentioned that his husband would be able to get back before nightfall. 

Tae Joon was both relieved and not so at the news. They would have released him, but not because they wanted to, only because they had no choice. "He'll have a threat over his head," he warned Makoa.

"I know," Makoa replied. No doubt that the Syndicate would have been very graphic about what might happen to Makoa if he let slip details of what he had seen at the Labs. "But at least he'll be safe. Just means I doubt he'll have gotten a message to your sister."

Tae Joon shrugged it off. "It was a long shot anyway. Thank you, both of you. That you even tried, that he was willing to put himself in that kind of danger for me, it means a lot."

"He's that kinda guy," Makoa said warmly.

Tae Joon smiled, and couldn't stop himself from looking at Elliott.

"I know what you mean," he replied.

-

Time was getting on. Elliott and Ajay retreated to the kitchen to make some food for everyone while Tae Joon sat them all down to discuss the plan. They knew there were two ways into the lab, the main doors and the portal, and they decided to use both. Caustic and Natalie would be stationed at the doors and using their skills to make sure that the only people getting through them without a hard time were in that room right now. Anita, despite her protests, was to hang back at the ship, ready to make their getaway, with Ajay on hand to tend to whatever shape they were in when they returned. Bloodhound, Octavio, Elliott and Renee were going in through the portal, hard and fast, with Elliott's job to being to distract whoever they encounted on the other side. He had had the foresight to bring the cloaking devices he had made for them with him, so Renee, Bloodhound and Tae Joon had an extra edge. Tae Joon would be going through the main doors with Pathfinder and Makoa, Makoa offering protection while his drone scouted ahead and Pathfinder, the only one who could keep up with the drone, ready to face whatever threat it encountered and neutralise it. Then they would meet up, hopefully, and Tae Joon would access the same control room he had all those months ago and disable as much of the automated security as he could as well as hopefully finding out where Mila was. The Labs went far deeper than the small, broken space they had fought in before and Tae Joon could only hope that it was still as broken now as it had been then.

"We will all be armed, but remember, only shoot if you have to. These are real people, it's not a game anymore."

They all seemed a little tense at the thought, except for Caustic, but Tae Joon decided not to dwell on that fact. 

"No one takes any risks. If you get in over your head, go to the portal and get back to the ship. No matter what, no one is to be reckless." He looked over at Octavio, and he wasn't the only one. "They may be expecting us. They may not. We get in, get Mila, and then we come home. All of us."

They planned to leave at sunset, and Tae Joon urged them all to spend the remaining time making sure their equipment was ready, that they had enough meds and ammo stored in their packs and ready to go. They all made their way back to the ship, nervous and uneasy but resilient, and set to work.

-

"Wheels up in five."

Anita's announcement rang through the silence of the ship. Even Octavio was subdued, sitting between Ajay and Makoa on the flight seats and looking smaller than Tae Joon could ever remember seeing him. Caustic was talking to Natalie, and though he couldn't quite make out what the scientist was saying in his low, deep voice, he caught snatches here and there and it sounded a lot like he was reciting the periodic table to the trembling engineer. 

Renee was leaning against a wall, idly playing with her kunai, and Ajay was sorting through her medical supplies at her station. Bloodhound was sitting cross legged on the floor, fully geared up, breathing slowly. Pathfinder was next to them, mimicking their pose in a way that was almost comical, his screen blank. Tae Joon looked over to Elliott, who was standing by the door to the bunks, tweaking the projectors on his arms. He must have sensed Tae Joon's gaze because he looked up, before beckoning the hacker over with a jerk of his head.

The ship rumbled into life around them as they took off, Tae Joon a little unsteady on his feet as he made his way over to Elliott. Elliott glanced around at the others before heading through the door, but it didn't seem as though anyone minded.

They sat down side by side on the nearest bunk, and without preamble Elliott was kissing Tae Joon with a deep longing. 

Tae Joon's fingers curled into the ragged padding of Elliott's holosuit, drawing him as close as he could, his heart aching. 

There were so many things he wanted to say, so many declarations and promises but they all died in his throat as they pulled apart.

Elliott pressed his forehead to Tae Joon's and breathed out gently, his eyes closed.

"I am so in love with you," he whispered, almost crying at the words.

Tae Joon felt the same spike of pain and longing shoot through him, as familiar now as the beating of his own heart. "Yes," he replied, his words failing him. "Always."

-

As they approached the familiar landscape of King's Canyon, Tae Joon made his way to the cockpit to scan for anything that might see them coming. The modifications to the ship held true, and they were able to slip inside the perimeter undetected. As Tae Joon and the others began to drag themselves to their feet, Makoa glanced at the screen in the corner one last time before hurrying over.

"What is it?" Tae Joon asked as he ensured his drone was safely stowed on his back.

"A message," Makoa answered quickly, his voice clipped and heavy. "Its my husband. He says from what he can recall, the entrance had about three or four guards, but the place is lousy with cameras and motion sensors." He straightened up as Anita's voice rang through the ship once more, informing them all that they were thirty seconds out. 

Tae Joon nodded. He had expected nothing less when it came to the technological security, but the blessed relief he felt at the scant human presence stiffened his resolve.

The large hatch to the rear of the ship began to open with a yawning groan, the sudden rush of air and the roaring of the engines making it impossible to hear anything else. Tae Joon would have preferred to send his drone out from here and activate the EMP in relative safety, but the little bot stood no choice against the slipstream of the Wreckoning and he would have to be the first boots on the ground.

Without jumpkits, Anita was slowly bringing the ship to ground, and was still hovering about six feet up when, with a final look at Elliott, Tae Joon jumped out.

He was moving before he'd even managed to fully right himself. His heavy boots dug into the soil beneath his feet as he threw his back against a small jutting cliff, tossing his drone into the air as he done so in many matches before. The stakes were so much higher now, but it was calmingly familiar to hear the little whir of his drone's thrusters as he pulled the control cube from the pocket of his jacket, sending towards the doors and activating the EMP just far away enough that's it's radius wouldn't actually reach inside the facility. 

The low electrical thud was like the starting gun of a race. They were no longer flying under the radar. The Syndicate would know almost immediately that something was happening, and Tae Joon wished he had been able to manufacture an EMP blast that rivalled the one he had used on the Repulsor. As it stood, however, they had to go in scrappy and small. They were trying to rescue one person, not dismantle the world. 

Less than a minute later he heard the solid footsteps of the rest of the team who would be following him, while above he saw the ship take flight once more and head into position above the huge, bright portal. Natalie and Caustic set to work barricading the huge doors, Tae Joon scanning for any errant perimeter security he might have missed while Makoa watched his back. After a brief nod at the bot to give him the all-clear, Pathfinder stepped up to the huge double doors and pried them apart. They shrieked loudly into the still, dark silence of the Canyon and the whole party winced as one at their lack of stealth. 

"Let's go," Tae Joon muttered, as a murmur in his ear confirmed that the others had dropped into the portal as planned. 

They left Caustic and Natalie, navigating their way through fences and around traps and headed down the steps to the second set of doors. Through his earpiece, a whispered warning from Renee told him that the others were not alone, but a few moments later Bloodhound signalled that they were clear. Tae Joon waited for Pathfinder to repeat his trick with the doors before sending his scout out through the slim, dark corridors.

Through his screen, he rounded to the chamber that contained very little except what could only be a torture device pretending to be a chair. The room was empty and looked as though it had been for some time. Wires hung down from the ceiling and sparked erratically as the audio feed from his drone picked up nothing at all save the heavy clank and whir of Pathfinder following close behind. He adjusted the drones path to head towards the exit of the massive, swirling portal, where he saw Elliott, but he knew the man well by now to know that wasn't exactly true, and on the floor Bloodhound knealt over a prone figure, gloved fingers pressed to their throat as the hunter checked for a pulse.

They nodded briefly, and then the real Elliott stepped into view of the drone, noticing it at once and sending a quick nod through its processors before bending down to heft the unconscious guard somewhere a little less conspicuous. Renee took up the legs and between them they shoved the guard into a small nook in the wall. Tae Joon piloted the drone back down the hall, slightly disconcerted that there were fewer guards than he had thought there might be. On the one hand, he didn't have the luxury of checking for teeth right now, but it wasn't as if anyone planning to storm a top secret base had a bedtime. He checked the small control room, the one he had been in months before, where it turned out it had been Elliott all that time ago who had spooked him into running, and saw a guard there, passably at attention to anyone who came to check but his grip on his rifle was too loose and his eyes had glazed over.

"You see him, Path?" Tae Joon asked over the comms.

Pathfinder acknowledged Tae Joon by shooting his grapple straight through the glass that separated him from the guard, the solider having barely a moment's notice before the sharp metal claw seized him around the chest and whipped him backwards into the wall behind Pathfinder. 

"Yes," Pathfinder responded uncessarily. Tae Joon briefly wondered why the plan hadn't been to send Pathfinder in alone while they all sat back on the ship and watched while the robot laid waste to the facility through handfulls of popcorn. 

Tae Joon collapsed the cube and slipped it into his pocket, looking up in surprise to see his view completely blocked by Gibraltar's large frame. 

"We can move," he intoned. "Elliott?"

"On our way. What was that noise?" Elliott's voice was a little high pitched and panicky.

"That was Pathfinder neutralizing a guard with the least amount of stealth possible," Tae Joon huffed down the comms.

"Sorry, friends," came Pathfinder's reply. 

Elliott's snort in return was strangely welcome in the mounting seriousness of the situation. Tae Joon clambered awkwardly through the shattered glass, earning the first injury of the operation when a shard caught the protruding bone of his wrist. Shaking the blood off before wiping it along the side of his jacket, Tae Joon set to work while the assembled group around him stood sentry. 

The system had received a few upgrades since his last foray into the Labs, but it wasn't anything Tae Joon couldn't handle. He was in and out in five minutes, giving them at least a thirty minute window to sneak through undetected, encountering nothing but human resistance if they were lucky. A deeply hidden blueprint of the Labs didn't exactly have an area marked 'Mila Alexander's Cell' on it, but two or three likely candidates presented themselves. Tae Joon stared at the plans until they were burned onto the backs of his eyes, before disengaging his kit and motioning at them all to follow.

The last time he'd been down this corridor, his only thought had been to find an exit. He still remembered where it was, but that had been a solo escape during a very distracting and loud death match above, whereas a small invading force was much more difficult to hide. He led the group down a flight of metallic stairs reminiscent of the ones in the bunker. When they reached a junction he was torn between splitting the group into two or carrying on as they were. There was strength in numbers, certainly, but they weren't exactly flush with time and apart they could cover more ground. He made the decision when he noticed a small, blinking red light in the ceiling. The camera was still deactivated but not broken; time really was of the essence. 

"Alright," he said quietly. "Blood, Renee, Path, Makoa, head that way. Blood, check every room before you enter. Path's pretty good at bypassing locked doors and if you find her, I know you can get her out the fastest, Renee. Makoa, please, keep them safe."

The others nodded solemnly and went off, leaving Tae Joon with Elliott and Octavio.

"Ah, just like old times, compadres," Octavio said, clapping them both on the shoulder. Tae Joon sent his drone into the air to follow behind, but he was wary of using the the screen so he would have to hope that the anxious pinging of the drone was enough to alert him to anyone else's presence. They set off in the opposite direction, past a multitude of locked doors with small, reinforced windows set in the top, looking a lot like prison doors as far as Tae Joon was concerned. However, the rooms all seemed empty and disused, many in a state of disrepair much as the entrance to the Labs had been. Wherever this facility actually started to be what it was, it seemed to be a long way down.

The only sounds they could hear were the gentle buzzing of the drone and the steady, much slower than usual tap of Octavio's feet against the floor. Tae Joon was aware of the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears as well, and the low hiss of Elliott's breathing, but around them, the facility appeared to be completely dead. He knew he was waiting to hear the low, background hum of power, of electricity, maybe the frantic sound of footsteps as those inside rushed around trying to figure out what had happened to their security systems, and he felt his fingers trail across the Wingman safely stowed at his hip. In and out, he reminded himself.

A quick check on the comms told him that the others were turning up much of the same. They were too far underground to communicate with Anita or Ajay now, and Tae Joon was just starting to think that it was time to call the whole thing off and turn around when he spotted something up ahead. A door, just like the others, but the window was spilling out light, red and foreboding, and he pushed Elliott and Octavio against the wall, pointing at the door with his finger against his lips. 

The two other men nodded as he retrieved his control cube once more, sending the little drone against the window. Instead of the run down rooms he was becoming used to seeing, beyond the door was a set of steps leading outwards and upwards to another set of gigantic doors like the ones at the entrance. Tae Joon stowed the controls and walked up to the door to examine the panel at the side.

"Can you get through?" Elliott asked.

Tae Joon recognised the tech at once, and the small key that had worked in the Labs before was almost guaranteed to work again. "Get the others here. We need Path," he said as he set to getting the door open.

Elliott muttered frantically into his comms. Bloodhound would be able to find them again no problem, but just as they were relaying this info, Elliott winced and wrenched the comm from his ear.

"What?" Octavio asked, unable to keep himself from bouncing. 

Tae Joon turned around. "I think they found some trouble," Elliott replied. Octavio looked between the two of them, waiting for instructions.

"Go," Tae Joon said quickly. "I can handle things here. Both of you, now!"

Octavio left at once, but Elliott remained. "What the hell, man, I'm not leaving you alone!"

Tae Joon squared his shoulders. "Right now they need you, and I don't. Don't look at me like that Elliott, you know I'm right. Please, go help them, I need you to tell me what's going on. Make them leave if you have to."

Elliott breathed out heavily but then relented. "Just... be careful."

"And you."

Tae Joon watched him go with a fresh spike of fear in his heart, but he was alone, his drone told him as much, and if he could just find Mila and get her out, there would be no reason for them to remain and they could all get the hell out of there.

After a few more moments work, the door slid open with a thunk and Tae Joon stepped into the red soaked room, pulse quickening at his throat. The doors ahead were large and imposing, and without Bloodhound nearby he had no way of knowing what lay behind them.

"Elliott?" he chanced down the comms. There was no reply.

There was another access panel, but clearly the Syndicate were smug enough bastards to think that no one who shouldn't be there would ever make it this far, and it required no authority to open it. Tae Joon took a deep breath and swiped his fingers over the cloaking device Elliott had made before pressing his invisible palm to the door.

The room beyond was vast. It looked a lot like a war room, with illuminated maps on the walls and a huge circular table in the centre. It was also almost blessedly empty, except for one guard at the other end who was manning the only other door Tae Joon could see. The guard was muttering something into a walkie talkie on his shoulder and Tae Joon crept as close and as quickly as he dared, drone left behind to not give the game away, counting down from thirty in his head. 

There was a sudden crash from the doors Tae Joon had just stepped through and Pathfinder swung into the room at full force, landing with both feet on the guards torso and forcing him to the ground. Tae Joon flickered back into view, startling the robot. Tae Joon recoiled slightly when he saw the robot properly; his left arm had been torn off just above the elbow. 

"Pathfinder," he said urgently, already starting work on the door in front of him. "What's happening? Where are the others?"

Pathfinder reached forward with his good arm and ripped the door from its hinges with ease. "Friend Elliott said you needed me."

Tae Joon wanted more information, he needed it, but he didn't know what state the robot was in and he needed to ask him one thing at a time. "What did you find?" he started slowly.

"There were people," Pathfinder said, tilting his head to one side. "Renee and Bloodhound did a very good job at stopping them while Makoa and I tried to open the door they had shut behind us. We all got through but the hydraulics in the door must be better than mine because..." Pathfinder trailed off, raising his ruined appendage and shaking it back and forth in a sick imitation of a wave.

"Did they follow you? The guards?" Tae Joon continued as he started along the corridor. 

"No. My arm successfully prevented to door from opening again. Makoa had to return to the entrance, however. There was a lot of blood, but he said he is fine."

Tae Joon stopped. His eyes had been fixed to the walls, following the familiar wires that trailed along the pipes, wires that were not typically used for power but for connections. 

"What? Makoa..?" he said, unable to hide the note of panic in his voice. 

"Friend Elliott said to tell you he really is fine. A scrape, he called it."

"Alright," Tae Joon said as his drone finally caught up with them. He slotted it into place on his back. "And where are the others?"

Pathfinder's screen lit up with a smile. "They are coming. They cannot move as fast as me."

Tae Joon nodded. "That is true enough." They moved together through the corridors, looking into locked doors that held banks of computers but which were all empty. If nothing else, Tae Joon had to assume that most of the Labs security had been sent to deal with the assault of the others, and the distraction had turned out to be exceptionally useful. 

He heard footsteps close behind and turned to see Octavio first around the corner, followed by Bloodhound and Renee with Elliott bringing up the rear. Elliott cast a forlorn look at the space where Pathfinder's arm used to be and then turned worried eyes on Tae Joon. 

"There's about twenty guards struggling to get through a door and we gotta believe that they've got more than one route," he panted. "Any luck?"

Tae Joon shook his head. "Not yet, but these cables?" He pointed at the walls. "High speed access, good for hacking. I think we're getting close."

There was a low hum and they were all briefly bathed in red, before Bloodhound pointed to a door at the furthest end of the corridor. 

"There is someone in that room," they said solemnly.

Tae Joon had to keep himself from sprinting towards it, but once he was close enough he could help himself and he dashed forward.

He pressed his face to the glass, only to see another one staring straight back out at him. 

"Mila," he breathed.

It was her. Everything stopped except his heart in his chest because it was his little sister, it was really her, and she was alive and looking at him through wide, staring eyes. It was her, and though they'd taken her hair and her piercings, had starved her and dressed her in rags, it was her. He breathed out and the world came rushing back because it was her, and while she was so close she was still much too far.

"Hold on," he said through the window. He began to work on the door, knowing that Pathfinder wouldn't be able to open a sliding one without both hands. It needed a little persuasion but in the end it clicked open and Mila came spilling out into Tae Joon's arms.

"You found me," she shuddered, her voice small and rough from underuse. 

"I will always find you," Tae Joon said, pressing kisses to her short, scruffy hair, his own tears falling freely now.

"Tae," came a voice, and Tae Joon was pulled from the wonderful, all encompassing moment by Renee, who flexed her wrists in front of her and squared her shoulders. "Time to move."

The air split with the sound of a portal being ripped into reality and Renee zipped back down the corridor in a flash of purple light. Tae Joon held Mila up and as close as he could. She didn't look well, and as he tightened his arms around her he was alarmed to find that he could feel every bone in her body. 

The portal formed in front of them and one by one they slipped through, back towards the entrance, towards the gas traps and fences and the ship and that, that was when it all went to hell.

Renee was frantically waiting for her portal to charge up once more so she could get them up to the ship, while Natalie and Caustic fussed over Makoa's wound. His left leg was saturated in blood but he seemed able to stand on it, so Tae Joon knew he wasn't badly hurt. When Makoa looked up and saw Tae Joon stumbling through the mess of traps with Mila pressed closely into his side's his face split into a wide smile. However, the look was quickly replaced with fear when he looked behind the rescue party, and Tae Joon turned, his face falling as he saw that the guards from before had finally caught up with them.

"Anita, bring the ship closer!" he shouted into his comms.

"I can't," Anita replied. "Scanners are picking up some sort of defence system back on line and set to fire if I go within fifty feet."

Tae Joon grit his teeth. They were going to have to fight their way back. He couldn't do it though, not with having to hold Mila up as well, but this was quickly remedied when Octavio approached and took his sister after a meaningful look. 

"Is it safe to move her?" he asked Tae Joon quickly. "Move her like I move, I mean?"

Tae Joon was confused, but Octavio had already scooped Mila up bridal style, ready to run.

Tae Joon nodded. "Yes, I think so. Thank you, Octavio. Please, go. We are right behind you."

There was a loud hiss as the first few guards set off the traps, coupled with an electrical buzzing as they got caught up in Natalie's webs. Tae Joon watched Octavio, slower than usual due to his precious cargo but still fast, running and jumping up the small outcrops and over rocks. He was almost out of sight, even as the rest of them ran to catch up, when a gunshot cracked through the air and Octavio fell down, hard. 

Pathfinder grappled over to him and bent down as Mila struggled to stand up, Caustic and Natalie close behind. Natalie fell to the floor beside Octavio while Caustic grabbed Mila before she fell. Renee was there too now and was glaring at the readout on her wrist as she looked down at the fallen daredevil. 

"Is he alright?" Tae Joon asked frantically over the comms.

"Fine amigo," Octavio replied himself, sounding winded. "Got the joint of my leg. Busted clean through, bastardo." 

There were more gunshots behind them, and then, unexpectedly and horrfyingly, the sound of vehicles being mobilised in the distance. Tae Joon could see the ship coming to land up ahead, and all that mattered was getting them all aboard and away.

Tae Joon, Elliott and Bloodhound came upon the scene, with Bloodhound leaning down at once to pick up Octavio. Elliott was checking behind them frantically, and without a word he grabbed the drone from Tae Joon's back and tossed it into the air.

Tae Joon was already moving back towards Mila, who's head was drooping against Caustic's shoulders, but then they were all lost under a spray of dirt as a four by four pulled up beside them, guards spilling out with guns raised.

They all drew their own weapons just as the portal opened up behind them. Another group of guards was flanking them from the other side, and Tae Joon didn't even have time to shout a warning as one of them struck Caustic roughly against the back of his head and he fell like a stone, leaving Mila to be grabbed and bundled back into one of the vehicles. 

"No!" Tae Joon cried, but it was Elliott who turned to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Get them back to the ship. Path, Bloth and I will get her."

Tae Joon shook his head frantically. "No, I-"

Elliott silenced him with a look. "Need your eye, man," he said earnestly. "I've got this. Please, Tae, trust me."

Tae Joon nodded. The others dived through the portal, and those who could walk helped those who couldn't back on to the ship.

Ajay was all business as she began to tend to everyone at once, leaving Tae Joon to bring up his drone's view on the screen in the main area, relating info to Elliott, Bloodhound and Pathfinder about who was around them. Anita was watching the scanners and informed him that it really wouldn't be long until the bastards below had a lock on them.

Elliott had gripped tightly onto Pathfinder's frame like some sort of bizarre piggyback, and the MRVN launched them both through the air towards the jeep, which had skidded to a stop outside the large double doors. Elliott let go of Pathfinder just before they hit the ground, rolling with the motion before skidding his boots through the dirt, R-99 raised to eye level. There were a few shots but it seemed as though the guards weren't as interested in killing them as they were taking them prisoner, no doubt as leverage. That was the Syndicate's signature move, after all. Bloodhound twisted themself out of the grasp two guards who had set upon them, felling one with a knee to the spine and dropping the other with a well aimed blow from the butt of their pistol. 

A decoy ran straight towards the group of guards who had jumped out of the jeep and they lunged for it in confusion, as Elliott used the momentary distraction to slip into the back of the jeep where Mila was. Bloodhound caught up and helped to take down a few more guards, but they were outnumbered and couldn't hold out for much longer.

Tae Joon turned to Renee, who didn't need promoting to say "Fifty-two percent."

He turned back to the fight, panicking as he had lost sight of all of them. Then his attention was caught as he saw Pathfinder sparking brightly into the night as bullets ricocheted off of his chassis, valiantly attempting to fight off the guards with his one remaining arm as they swarmed him like insects.

Suddenly, the door to the jeep was flung wide and Mila all but fell out, running towards the ship, but it was too soon, the portal wasn't ready and she was completely alone. 

"No," Tae Joon whispered to himself. "No... no." The guards behind her lined up their shots, and fired.

Tae Joon slammed his fist against the desk, his heart breaking, not wanting to see his little sister torn to shreds in front of him but unable to look away. It was only a moment before the first bullet connected that Tae Joon realised what was wrong.

He and Mila had spent their lives running. From the police, from the rain, from people who wished to do them ill. He had seen her run more than anyone else, and Mila, she didn't run like that.

Elliott did.

He looked back to the jeep to see Elliott slipping out of the side, the holo tech missing from his arms, smothering Mila's small frame instead. He felt a choking sort of pride in his chest underneath all the horror, and watched as the other Mila exploded into a shower of blue pixels.

Elliott took a shot at the first guard who noticed them and completely blew out his knee. The guard dropped just as another two caught up, but then Bloodhound and Pathfinder were upon them just as Renee announced that another portal was ready to go. She dived from the ship and back down into the long grass towards the fight, pulsing bright purple against the darkened Canyon. Before she had completed her Path, however, the doors to the Labs opened once more and a fresh wave of guards spilled out into the night. 

"Elliott, behind you!" Tae Joon cried down the comms, and Elliott, who was still supporting Mila, quickly thrust her towards Bloodhound, who caught her with their usual grace. Elliott fired off a few shots as Renee's portal opened up and she motioned to Bloodhound to go through first. Tae Joon heard the zip of energy and turned to see the hunter fall into the ship, his sister held tightly at their side. Ajay stepped forward and grabbed Mila, who by this point was pale and shaking, slipping in and out of consciousness.

"Come back," Tae Joon shouted. "Now."

Pathfinder grappled himself into the portal and Renee aimed a swift jab at the guard who was about to take Elliott out with her kunai, sending him to his knees. Elliott looked up at her, a small trickle of blood at his hairline and nodded as they both ran towards the portal. Before they could reach it, however, another group of guards got in their way, and they both struggled to get out of their grips. Renee phased, leaving the guard holding on to empty air but without his kit Elliott was at their mercy.

"Go!" he heard Elliott shout to Renee and she looked so torn before slipping back into her portal, which immediately closed up behind her.

Tae Joon felt like the world had gone away. He watched almost in slow motion as the guards dragged Elliott back towards the entrance of the Labs.

"No! We have to go back!" he shouted. "We have to-"

"Tae, they have a lock on the ship. We have to move. Now." Anita's voice was firm, the voice of a soldier.

Tae Joon shook head frantically, eyes still fixed on the scene below. "No, please," he begged, his voice a whisper.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he shook it off quickly, not caring who it belonged to. The doors hadn't slid shut yet as the ship rumbled into the air, and he watched, his breath catching as a streak of yellow emerged from the darkness.

"Wait!" he shouted. 

"Park," Anita intoned warningly. 

"It's Elliott! He got out! He-"

A shot rang out, processed through the drones audio receptors and echoed all throughout the ship.

The words died in Tae Joon's throat as Elliott just stopped, his limbs suddenly loose as a red stain began to spread amongst the yellow at his hip. They all watched as Tae Joon waited. He waited for the decoy to disappear, waited for it to shimmer and fade, and even though he knew the truth, he still he waited until Elliott collapsed to his knees and his body fell heavily onto the ground below.


	16. Chapter 16

Nobody spoke. They hardly dared to breathe. Tae Joon could feel their eyes upon his back as he stared at the screen, his own fixed on the image as more guards came to swarm over Elliott's body. Rage and grief surged within him as hands that should never be allowed to touch pulled and pushed at Elliott Witt. The ship flew on and still he watched until the distance became too much and the picture cut out. For a moment he could do nothing but stand there, until the pain became a thing in it's own right and he reached out, grabbing the screen with both hands and wrenching it to the floor. The crash and splinter of broken glass rent the air obscenely in the fragile silence, breaking the spell of shocked inaction, and he felt suddenly afraid that they would speak, offer him words he didn't want to hear and make it irreversibly real and true.

He walked over to Ajay, catching sight of Natalie sobbing mutely against Caustic's chest while the chemist stood silent and stoic, eyes looking at nothing at all. He saw Renee, back against the wall, her head in her hands and Octavio sitting on one of the chairs, his busted leg lying discarded in front of him, his goggles held loosely in one hand while the other swiped furiously at his eyes.

"How is she?"

Mila was lying on one of the gurneys, her face pale yet peaceful.

Ajay turned to him, silent tears streaming down her cheeks as if she didn't even know they were there. When she spoke, her voice was thick and small.

"She'll be ok. She needs rest," was all she said. Tae Joon knew there was more to it, but they both knew that was all he could handle for now. "Tae, I-" she began, because if anyone was going to, it would be her, but he just shook his head and walked away to the door that led to the hold. He felt numb, couldn't feel the floor against his feet or the cool metal of the door beneath his hands. He felt empty.

He breathed out for what felt like the first time in forever when he was finally alone but then he caught sight of what had been left behind in the hold and everything overwhelmed him. He fell to his knees, a sick mimicry of Elliott's actions, and curled over, burying his face in the cover they had left behind from the night before, the cover that still smelled like Elliott. He felt the first wave of pain and despair bubble up in his chest when he howled, trying to muffle the sound with the blanket but it was so much. He screamed and sobbed and shook and came undone, nothing now except a broken thing, and though he knew they must be able to hear him, no one came to find him. He wept for Elliott without shame, he poured every ounce of love he felt for the man out in tears and shouts and curled up small, waiting to die.

-

He never could recall leaving the ship, could not remember who had come to coax him away from the memory of his and Elliott's last night together. He didn't remember moving on legs that could barely hold him up, a strong arm over his shoulder as they made their way to the bar, and perhaps as a mercy, he could not remember entering the place, a place filled with homages to the man they had all just lost. The journey from there to the safe house Mystik had set up for them all was a blur, too, voices suddenly everywhere and much too loud. He was being passed around from person to person, like fragile glass, and he remembered nothing.

Someone made him lie down, someone else undressed him begged him to rest, but his eyes stayed fixed on an unfamiliar ceiling, dry and sore and cracked, and he did nothing. The voices around him came from far away, the things he saw muted and dull and he did nothing.

He should be doing something. This was the time when they were all in the most danger. The Syndicate knew what they had done, and probably had a good idea of what they were going to do. He was supposed to be at his computer, flooding the network with the truth at last, getting it out into the world and hoping enough people believed his message to band with them and rise up, to help finish the job he had started before things got far too messy, and he was supposed to be waiting at Mila's bedside to tell her everything when she woke up. Instead he did nothing, and found out later that it was Natalie who had found one of his contacts and asked for their help in doing what Tae Joon could not bring himself to do, and it was Ajay who explained to his sister in soft tones what kind of world she had woken up in. It was Ajay who told his sister that their fight was not over yet. It was Ajay who told her what Tae Joon had lost, and it was Ajay who had to break her heart for her big brother.

They all had things to do, people to speak to and alliances to forge, and they did it all around him without him, but like the true family they were, they didn't leave him alone. He wanted to not be angry at them, he didn't want to be left by himself, but he couldn't move, couldn't speak, and they took turns to sit at his side, to force water past his lips when he would not do it for himself, and none of them said they were sorry, because they knew better. As the hours turned into days and it became easier to see, he began to realise that while he felt it the hardest, they had all lost someone they loved dearly. They were all in pain, they were all angry, and it didn't comfort Tae Joon at all.

A week after Elliott had died, Tae Joon finally got out of bed.

Wherever he was, it was swarming with people he did not know and for a moment he wanted to run back to the room he had been hiding in and stay there much longer. It was not a safe house, it was a base of operations, people coming and going, a large screen in the corner projecting the news he had been missing since the Canyon.

The Outlands were up in arms. It seemed the Syndicate's biggest mistake had been the overly public way they had tested their prototypes, letting people get to know them and love them and then having to face the backlash when it was revealed what they were doing to them. Any press not controlled by the Syndicate was urging people to resist, to stand against them and stop the whole mess from turning into an all out war. He watched it all, amazed that their small group was fast growing into a legitimate army, an actual force that stood a real chance of destroying the Syndicate once and for all.

It would have been better, though, if Elliott had not been turned into the martyr around which the people rallied.

The truth about what they had done to his mother, about what they had done to him, came to be a war cry, and the fact that even the most beloved man in the Outlands had been nothing more than a gear in their murder machine instilled more defiance in the people than any other thing. The first time he had seen Elliott's face on the screen, smiling and laughing in his holosuit, he had fallen apart all over again in a room full of strangers, but this time not everyone was scared to approach him. He felt strong, nimble fingers close around his wrist and looked up to see Octavio standing beside him, his eyes wet and fixed on the screen, and he didn't care at all who saw him collapse against the daredevil and weep into his arms.

Everyone knew. At the safe house, those not close to Tae Joon were careful not to say Elliott's name and avoided his eye, but the truth had come out one way or another and everyone knew that Tae Joon had lost the man he loved.

He went to see Mila, who had been awake and asking after him for days, and she didn't tell him she was sorry. She listened with a neutral expression as he told her what kind of hell his life had been since she had been taken, and she smiled through tears when he finally, finally found the strength to talk about Elliott.

"I wish I could have got to know him," was all she said when he was done.

Tae Joon nodded and held her hand. "All he wanted was for you to come home," he whispered, and she squeezed back and shook her head.

"Not all," she said quietly. 

-

After a month, his grief had settled into his heart like it was a part of him now. He woke alone each morning and hated the empty space beside him, felt anger that every friendly touch and word he got did not come from the one person he truly wanted it to, and he threw himself into his work. They had all drifted out into the world, into the war they were trying to prevent, and he saw less and less of the family he had made.

Ajay and Makoa had gone out into the field, setting up ramshackle hospitals wherever the fighting broke out, recruiting medics and doctors for the cause wherever they could find them. Renee and Anita had reached out to people they used to know, people who could fight and resist and they were willing to follow the two women who had once been the most formidable legends the Games had to offer. Bloodhound returned to their village, warning them of the dangers going on in the world's moving from tribe to tribe to take whatever help was offered. Natalie and Caustic had bowed out of the fight, and no one blamed them. Caustic's health had begun to deteriorate quite rapidly, and there had been no question that Natalie would be the one to care for him. Tae Joon worked beside Mila, with his sister taking the lead as every hacker and thief and cyber criminal they knew was contacted and implored to fight against the Syndicate. Octavio and Pathfinder remained at the base with him, Octavio unsure what to do but volunteering to go on every mission, every supply run available while Pathfinder became almost ridiculously domestic, preparing meals and tidying up after the legions of people who came through. 

It was Octavio who came to him one night as he was about to turn in with a dark, scared expression on his face.

"I just got word from Ajay," he began after Tae Joon had invited him into his room.

"Is she alright? Is Makoa-?" He worried about them all constantly, obsessively.

"They're fine," Octavio assured him quickly. "Its just...tomorrow. They wanted to know if you were going to be there."

Tae Joon sagged and sat down heavily on his bed. They had been overwhelmed with duty, but things had started to fall into place and thinking had become easier. There was still a dark cloud over all of them, a defeaning hole in their ranks, and they'd all been trying their best to ignore it but Ajay, who dealt with death as a matter of course, had been the one to suggest it. 

A funeral.

"I... Don't know if I can," Tae Joon replied.

Octavio nodded. "We understand. It's at noon if you..." He trailed off. "It's at noon," he said again.

Tae Joon didn't sleep that night. Mila knocked on his door at around ten, dressed in a black shirt and jeans, and offered out her hand to his.

He looked at it, his mind empty except for memories of Elliott, and he swallowed around the lump in his throat and took it. It was time to say goodbye.

-

The only other people there who had never been inside the Games were Mila and Makoa's husband. It wasn't official, no arrangements had been made, it had just been decided that they would make their way to the memorial gardens and say their pieces over the grave of Evelyn Witt. Bloodhound had carved a piece of burnt oak with his name and nothing else, and laid it at the foot of her headstone. There were three other plaques embedded in the stone, three other names besides hers and they all looked down at the grave of Evelyn Witt, surrounded by the names of her fallen sons, a tomb for five people with only one body beneath the soil.

Octavio went first, kneeling down with his hand pressed against the earth, whispering a short dedication to himself in his native tongue, before standing up and retreating to Ajay's side. Tae Joon stood a little further back from everyone, Mila's hand tightly in his as silent tears fell from his eyes. He didn't want to be there. 

Natalie laid flowers and Renee placed her hand against the cold stone for a moment before stepping away. Pathfinder seemed uncertain what to do, but Renee urged him forward with a gentle push and he let himself be moved. Tae Joon wondered if the robot could even feel grief, but he had always said that Elliott was his best friend, even if Elliott hadn't always agreed, and the MRVN suddenly sat down at the foot of the grave and let out a small, modulated sigh. His long metallic arm reached out and he said "I miss you," in a tone of jarringly familiar cheerfulness that made them all smile and weep fresh tears.

Anita saluted smartly and Makoa said goodbye through thick sobs, his husbands hand on his back. Ajay wept openly, the least collected any of them had ever seen her until Caustic, wheezing slightly, led her away. They didn't look at Tae Joon or wait for him to move, and eventually it was Mila who guided them away from the grave so Tae Joon could have a moment alone.

He stood there, looking down. He didn't want to speak to an empty grave. He didn't want to say words that Elliott could never hear, but he wanted so much to say them at all.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect him, Evelyn. I'm sorry I lost him, I'm sorry I-" He broke down, kneeling on the hard earth. "Please know I loved your son. Please know that he was everything to me." He let his eyes drift to the makeshift plaque that Bloodhound had carved. "Why did you leave me?" he said softly. "Why did you have to go and leave me behind? How am I supposed to do this without you?"

When Mila came to find him, the sun had gone down and he had been sitting there for hours, feeling closer to Elliott than he had since that terrible night, aching from the tears he had shed.

-

The fight had reached its crescendo and all but abated within six months. The Syndicate was in ruins, stopped before they could even start, but there were still pockets of resistance, still little battles to be won. Anita had led a platoon back to the Labs, brute force this time instead of stealth and subterfuge, but her reports told a story of a broken, abandoned place. They had shut them down, it was over for the Syndicate, and they didn't need to fight anymore.

Tae Joon and Mila continued to work, but now theirs was a duty of vigilance. For everyone else, they managed to get back to some semblance of a real life now that they no longer had to hide from the ones who would take them down. 

Caustic had died the previous winter. Natalie said he went gently in his sleep, and they buried him with a name that wasn't really his, determined to remember him as the man who had helped them all at the start rather than whatever mistakes might exist in his past. Natalie had been stronger than any of the others thought she was capable of, and she founded a school in his name, a school of chemistry and engineering, and became amazing all on her own.

Renee just wanted a quiet life, and she and Bloodhound retired to some isolated place far away to live and breathe and exist somewhere where the voices never had to warn her. She checked in now and again, and made Tae Joon smile when she told him she was learning carpentry, of all things, and that they were happy. They existed in harmony, needing nothing more from each other than friendship.

Ajay and Octavio moved in together and no one was surprised. Ajay became the head of the free hospital on Solace and Octavio did whatever the hell it was that kept him from standing still, never quite measuring up to the maturity and social responsibility of his best friend turned whatever she was to him now, but he was always at her side, and always had her back. 

Makoa and his husband went back to their little cabin and and Tae Joon received the happy news that their family had grown in the form of a baby girl. They called her Ellie, and hoped he didn't mind. He didn't mind at all.

Pathfinder remained his constant companion, and Tae Joon did all the things he swore he would, upgrading his software and offering him the chance to display a few more emotions on his screen. His favourite one was a picture of a lake at sunset, and it was present most of the time. Pathfinder liked to talk about Elliott, and Tae Joon liked to hear him. It was getting better, slowly but surely, and while he still had days where it weighed on him, days when he couldn't get out of bed, he was doing alright.

Anita remained as the head of the army she had helped create, becoming more of a police force on Solace, keeping order and keeping the peace. 

Mila got a boyfriend named Styx, and Tae Joon didn't like him one bit.

-

A few more months passed, and as he trailed through his inbox, Tae Joon found a message from Renee. He opened it up expecting another update on her new, simpler way of life, and instead found a link to a video. He clicked on it, and there was a shaky, handheld view of all of them, the way they used to be, back at the complex. The picture zoomed in on he and Elliott as Ajay was leaning over, tending to the wound on his wrist caused by Artur while Elliott had his arm over his shoulders, muttering innuendos to Ajay while the medic rolled her eyes. He smiled and watched it again and again.

-

He awoke a week or so later to the sound of a frantic, familiar pinging. A drone of his had picked up someone dressed in Syndicate issued gear nearby. He rolled out of bed with a groan and walked up to his computer, the irritation in his chest soon being replaced with a hollow anger as he saw where the alert was coming from.

The place had been shut down and boarded up long ago. With Elliott gone, it hasn't seemed right to keep the Paradise Lounge open for business, and the thought that one of those bastards had broken in to poke around what had essentially become Elliott's tomb filled him with rage. He thought about waking someone to go with him, but this was more than personal and he geared up to find whoever it was and take them down on his own.

He had a key to the place. It seemed right that it should go to the only person Elliott had truly had left, and he hesitated before stripping the wood from the door and letting himself in. 

The place was silent, and he felt his heart drop like a stone when he saw where the only source of light was coming from. Whoever it was had switched on the holo projectors and he was surrounded by copies of Elliott, winking and smiling and tending bar. He strained his ears listening for movement, but the only footsteps he heard were his own. Fingers curled tightly around his pistol, he moved deeper into the club, staying low.

He moved towards the bar and saw the control panel behind it hanging open. He was inches away from the hologram that had propped itself against the bar, making imaginary conversation with a patron who wasn't there, and he felt his guard drop.

It was Elliott, just as he remembered. His smile, the light in his eyes. The way his hair always fell just right, the strong shoulders Tae Joon had loved so much. His gun dropped to his side and he reached out with his other hand, fingers touching nothing but empty air as he tried to lay a hand against a holographic cheek. At his touch, the decoy fizzled away to nothingness and Tae Joon was brought harshly back to reality. He took a deep breath to steady himself and carried on. 

The main bar appeared to be deserted, so he made his way through the door marked 'Staff Only' and headed up the stairs to manager's office that had once been Elliott's. The door was open.

He raised his pistol and stepped through. The lamp on the desk had been switched on, and he caught sight of a figure in the shadows, their back to him as they rifled through a filing cabinet.

"Don't move," he said in a low voice.

The figure didn't turn but slowly raised their hands.

"What are you doing here? What do you want?"

They turned suddenly and Tae Joon felt his finger tighten on the trigger.

"Tae?" Elliott whispered.

All of the air seemed to rush out of the room. Tae Joon almost refused to believe the evidence of his eyes as Elliott Witt stood before him, broken and damaged but real and alive.

"Elliott?" 

Elliott seemed to release a world of tension and he stepped forward. "Yes, yes it's me, Tae, oh god, Tae, you're ok, you're alive."

Tae Joon dropped his gun to the ground with a loud clatter and surged forward, stopping just short when the sight of Elliott hit him like a punch to the chest.

One eye was covered with a patch, a dirty leather thing caked in blood. His face was more scarred than it had ever been, with fresh wounds covering the old. His hair was just a mess of curls on his head, dirty and matted. He moved slowly as though it hurt to do so. Out of his uncovered eye, tears began to flow.

"I thought I was never going to see you again."

Tae Joon wanted to know what had happened to him, where he had been, hell, he wanted to know who had put Elliott into this state so he could hunt them down and kill them. But right now it didn't matter, it didn't matter because Elliott was alive and he was here and he was home and he was torn between wanting to clutch at him and hold him close, and not wanting to hurt him.

"You died," he whispered hoarsely. "They shot you."

Elliott tried to smile. "Yeah, they did. But they didn't want me dead."

"Leverage," Tae Joon said coldly.

"I guess so," Elliott replied weakly.

"Later. You need... you need help. Can you move ok?"

Elliott held out his hands. "Slow down, please. I'm alright for a moment." 

Tae Joon stopped and waited for Elliott to tell him what he needed. He could wait in this room forever for just that.

"Mila?" Elliott asked, and Tae Joon let out a broken sob that Elliott immediately misinterpreted. 

"Oh, Tae, I'm so sorry, I tried, I tried so hard to get her out, I-"

Tae Joon stepped closer, still not touching but close enough to feel Elliott's warmth. "You saved her life. She's fine, she's ok. She's alive."

Elliott sagged and let out a ragged breath. "I'm still sorry. Sorry I was gone, I tried to get a message to you when I got out but I didn't even-"

"Elliott, stop. It doesn't matter right now. You're... You're here. You're alive. Please, let me take care of you. There's somewhere we can go, get you fixed up, please Elliott. Let's do that first."

Elliott nodded, and the first touch they had together was of Tae Joon slipping his arm beneath Elliott's own, throwing it over his shoulder and leading him heavily down the stairs and out into the cool night.

-

"Tae what the hell? Is that-" Mila stepped aside as Tae Joon helped Elliott over the threshold to the safe house.

"He's hurt," Tae Joon said urgently. Mila summoned two bodies from nowhere and they helped Elliott through the house to the makeshift medical bay at the rear. Tae Joon gently laid him on a gurney but he was unconscious by this point, and Tae Joon began to panic.

"Who's on call?" he asked Mila.

"It's ok, I'm here," came a familiar voice, and Tae Joon turned to see Ajay standing at the door, her face picture of shock for just a moment before she brushed past both of them to tend to her patient.

"Don't go," she said, as if Tae Joon had any intention of leaving. "Help me with his clothes."

They stripped Elliott out of his dirty, blood encrusted suit, a standard issue Syndicate uniform that was thrown to one side and forgotten at once. Mila retrieved it and left Ajay and Tae Joon to tend to Elliott, knowing that crowding the poor man was not going to help and also that there was no way in hell that her brother was leaving his side.

Tae Joon looked down at Elliott's body before he could stop himself and saw the angry, red sunburst scar of a bullet wound just above his hip bone. It hadn't been treated properly, it looked as though it had gotten infected at some point, and it wasn't the only wound there. Cuts and bruises littered Elliott all over, and Ajay took a deep breath.

"Oh Elliott," she said softly to herself. "What did they do to you?"

Tae Joon felt anger pulse in his chest as he stood back to let Ajay work. She plugged an IV into the back of his hand, fluids to help with his dehydration, and then began a head to toe examination.

"His pulse is strong," she said over her shoulder. "And a lot of these wounds are superficial."

She began to clean him up and dress a few of the deeper cuts while Tae Joon filled her in on everything he knew, which wasn't much. Once Elliott's body had been tended to she turned her attention to his face. With a hesitant glance at Tae Joon, she used trembling fingers to pry the patch from his eye. It didn't come away easily, fused to his skin with dried blood and she had to use rubbing alcohol to separate it completely. Tae Joon took a deep breath, and forced himself to look.

The eye was still there, but instead of the warm brown he was used to the entire iris and pupil were milky white. Ajay sucked in a breath. His eyelid was a pink mess of scar tissue, as was the skin below his eye. Tae Joon could still make out the faint scar that crossed his brow, the one he had always insisted made him look rugged and distinguished. 

"No," he whispered in horror. Ajay didn't drop her professional demeanour as she examined it. "I know it looks bad but it's healed well," she said over her shoulder. 

"Why... why is he sleeping?" Tae Joon asked nervously.

Ajay turned to him. "I'd say he's just exhausted, Tae. Don't know what the hell happened to him or where he's been, but he's gonna need a lot of time to get better." She placed her hand on his arm. "But he will get better," she assured him. "You can let it all go now."

Tae Joon sagged and let Ajay hold him. He didn't cry, but he felt rooted to the spot. He was happy, unbelievably so. He felt like light had finally come back into his world again after so long in darkness, but he was terrified too because even though Elliott was back he wasn't all the way back, and who knew what man would wake up on that bed, if it would even be the same Elliott he knew and loved. Ajay let him go after a moment and returned to Elliott, while Tae Joon sat down numbly on a chair in the corner of the room and waited.

When she had done as much as she could, Tae Joon helped her redress Elliott in soft clothes, and then she left. "Is it ok if I tell the others? I'll tell them to stay away for now, but they should know."

Tae Joon nodded, eyes still fixed on the steady rise and fall of Elliott's chest. Whatever he needed, time, space, anything, Tae Joon would give it all willingly, because Elliott was home, and that was everything. 

-

Pathfinder came to visit while Elliott was still sleeping. Tae Joon told him as much as he could and impressed upon him how important it was to give Elliott time and quiet to get better. 

"He will be ok, though?" 

Tae Joon nodded. "Ajay thinks so."

Pathfinder whirred happily. "I don't have to miss him anymore."

"No," Tae Joon said with a smile. 

-

Elliott woke up a few hours later, groggy but already looking better under Ajay's minstrations. Ajay fussed over him from the second his eye fluttered open, urging him to lay still. Moving was for other people, she informed him, and Elliott didn't seem the least bit inclined to argue. She took his vitals and checked his wounds. She had replaced his filthy eyepatch with gauze and bandages, and he reached up to brush his fingers across it gently. Tae Joon felt a stab of pain in his chest but he forced it down and waited, waited and waited for Ajay to be done.

"Do not push him," she warned him in a low voice as she left the room.

Tae Joon nodded and swallowed before moving over to sit beside Elliott.

"How are you feeling?" he asked stupidly.

"Like shit," Elliott replied. Ajay had allowed him to sit up, and he was clean and fresh smelling but the wounds looked painful and raw. His hand was laying limp at his side and Tae Joon hesitantly reached out and took it in his own, rewarded when Elliott squeezed him softly in return.

"I missed you," he said before he could help himself.

Elliott looked at him. "I missed you too, so much."

They sat in silence for a while. Tae Joon didn't want to press and Elliott seemed to be too full of thoughts to put them in any kind of order.

"They-" he began, but his voice faltered.

"You don't have to tell me. Not yet. Its ok."

Elliott offered him a grateful smile and they just remained in each other's spaces for a little while, until Ajay came back and bossed Tae Joon out of the room, citing Elliott's need for sleep.

-

Elliott seemed to be getting stronger by the hour. By the third day, he was sitting up without help and eating solid food. The colour had returned to his cheeks and so had his words, but he still couldn't quite bring himself to tell Tae Joon what had happened to him, and there was nothing in the world that could make Tae Joon ask.

He spent every moment at Elliott's bedside, just drinking him in. Mila offered without hesitation to pick up his slack, and she did this after coming to visit Elliott and thanking him profusely for everything he had done for her and her brother. It warmed Tae Joon all the way through to see the familiar way that Elliott lit up at her words of praise, and he made a note to thank her later, probably with chocolate and full authority on the next movie night. 

This was the day that Tae Joon told him the enormity of the impact of what they had done, of how the people had come together and fought back just because a group of the strangest kind had banded together to rescue a hacker's sister.

"When it became clear that I was innocent, they began to question everything the Syndicate had ever said or done, and with you... With everyone thinking you were...." He faltered.

"Dead," Elliott said around a mouthful of pudding. "Carry on."

Tae Joon rolled his eyes at him. "Right. Well, everyone sort of fought back in a hundred little ways and really they didn't stand a chance."

"Good," Elliott said, but his voice was suddenly hard, and his eye was dark.

-

The next day, Elliott asked about everyone else, and, more importantly, why they weren't crowded around his sick bed hailing his triumphant return. Tae Joon filled him in, and let him know that everyone had been informed of his miraculous resurrection, but they wanted to give him time to heal before they started weeping at his feet. Elliott's demeanour cracked a little when Tae Joon told him about Caustic, but he replied quickly, promising to pour one out for the old man just as soon as he was back on his feet.

Tae Joon held his hand and squeezed his shoulder now and again, but there was still something unspoken between them that had stopped him from going any further. There were still words they hadn't said.

"I'm feeling... better," Elliott said softly, looking out of the window as the sun began to set.

"I'm glad," Tae Joon said honestly. "You look better."

"Yeah, but you're biased," Elliott said without thinking, and that was the first time either of them had said anything that alluded to the way they used to be.

And of course, for all he was hurt and broken, it was once again Elliott who closed the space.

"I mean, much better. Well enough, I think, to start getting pissed at you for not kissing me yet."

Tae Joon laughed and leaned down, pressing his lips softly to Elliott's before pulling away, chaste and brief.

Elliott looked horrified, but the was no truth in it.

"What the hell was that, Park?" he demanded. "When a soldier comes home from war, surely he can expect a little more action than that from his sweetheart?"

"Oh, shut up," Tae Joon replied, but he gave in at once and kissed Elliott like he meant it, like he had longed to do for months. Like he loved him as much as he ever had.

"That's all you're getting, Witt," he said when they pulled apart. "Don't need Ajay benching me." 

"Right," Elliott replied. "But if I ever needed an incentive to get back to my fighting weight..." He trailed off and Tae Joon knew he would never receive a greater gift than being on the receiving end of one of Elliott's winks again.

-

After a week or so of bed rest, Ajay all but turned him out, saying he needed to get up and moving now. Elliott grumbled but let it happen, and after Tae Joon helped him get cleaned up and presentable, he led him to the more social area of the safe house, where he was met by all of his friends, most of them looking at him as though they had seen a ghost. 

Renee was the first to approach him, hesitantly as though scared he would break, but he grinned at her. "Its safe to hug me, I know you all want to." He glanced over at Makoa. "Maybe not you though, big fella," he said. "Takes a coupla days to recover from one of your hugs when I'm fighting fit."

Renee embraced him and told him in no uncertain terms that he was a bastard and she would never forgive him, while Anita punched him playfully on the arm. Tae Joon had told them not to ask about where he had been as Elliott still wasn't ready to talk about it yet, and though it was there they were all more than happy to ignore the elephant in the room and make jokes and tell him how glad they were that he was back. The only awkward moment came when he caught Natalie staring at his eyepatch but he just shrugged at her. "You should see the other guy," he said lightly.

Octavio clapped him on the back. "You know, I have a prosthetics guy who can fix everything," he said with a grin.

"Very funny," Elliott replied.

-

Tae Joon had a small apartment not too far from the safe house. He hadn't spent much time there before Elliott's return. It was too quiet and empty and he didn't like to be too far from what he had begun to think of as the headquarters, but the truth was that his small room was more of a bunk in a corner and there just wasn't room to accommodate Elliott there as well.

"You're moving in with me," he informed Elliott a few days later.

"Oh, I am, am I?" Elliott was standing in front of the mirror, glaring at his reflection. Ajay had managed to get him a proper eyepatch, black leather with red stitching. "I look like a damn pirate," he muttered.

"Pirates are sexy," Tae Joon replied as though stating a very serious fact. He was packing Elliott's belongings into a bag, not looking up.

"Shiver me timbers," Elliott said under his breath.

"That was cheesy, even for you, Witt."

Elliott turned around and pulled Tae Joon close at the waist. "Part of my charm, I think you mean."

"Kiss me you idiot," Tae Joon said, and Elliott obliged.

They walked together to Tae Joon's place, (their place, he reminded himself happily), hand in hand. Elliott was still moving a little stiffly and it was likely to never get back to a hundred percent the way he used to be, but he was well enough to be released from Ajay's care and to get back to living his life once more. Tae Joon had never thought he could be domesticated, but the coming weeks proved otherwise as he and Elliott made a little home for themselves, taking turns to cook dinner and arguing about who should do the dishes. Tae Joon still went back to the safe house every day to work with Mila, but Elliott still wasn't at his best and pouted every time Tae Joon left him with instruction to rest.

-

After a month, Elliott reminded him that there were other things to do in bed besides sleep.

-

They became happy, content to be together, but the horrors of their past still lingered on.

Some days were fine. Some days Tae Joon forgot that Elliott wasn't dead. Some days, so did Elliott.

-

"They tortured me."

Tae Joon had been sitting on the couch in their small living room, laptop balanced on his knees when Elliott spoke. He looked up, slowly shutting the computer, unsure what to do. Elliott was standing in the doorway, looking down at the scars on his knuckles.

"We don't have to talk about it," Tae Joon said, and he felt cowardly because he knew a part of him wouldn't be able to stand to hear it.

"We do," Elliott replied. "I do."

He came and sat next to Tae Joon but he didn't touch him, he just twisted his hands together between his knees, head bowed.

"I mean, I think for a few weeks at least I was, I dunno, in a coma or they had me sedated or something. When that bullet hit me I thought I was dead and then I woke up, I don't know where. Not the Labs, though, I know that much." He sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. He had cut the curls a little shorter but hadn't gone back to the way it used to be, shaved at the sides. Too much maintenance, he said.

"When I woke up, when they said I was well enough to talk they... They wanted to know about you, about the others, about what you were going to do."

"But you didn't tell them," Tae Joon said quietly.

Elliott sighed. "I almost did. I wanted to. When that bastard drove that cigarette into my eye I was about to spill my guts, Tae."

Elliott's chest heaved and he let out a small sob of agony. "But he... he'd messed up. This other guy, I think he was in charge, he dragged him away, telling him he was going too far, he was going to kill me. God, I almost wanted him to."

Tae Joon felt his stomach twist into knots, but he couldn't interrupt. Elliott didn't need to be told he wasn't in the wrong. He needed to talk. "Guess they thought I was in no fit state to move because they didn't lock the door. Maybe by this point you guys had made a pretty big dent in their operation because the place was practically empty. I got away clean, ran as much as I could but I had no idea where I was. I just ran."

He drew his hand across his mouth.

"Think I was sick then. My side was on fire and I was sweating and puking and passing out all over. Didn't know which way was up and I really thought I was gonna die. Don't know how, but I managed to drag myself somewhere busy, broke into a pharmacy and just downed antibiotics and slept in some abandoned shithole. Took weeks, I think, but I got a little better, tried to patch myself up, got enough of my wits about me to realise where I was. Washed up about five miles from the bar. I tried to call but I couldn't remember your number, and I was scared to go anywhere in case they were looking for me."

He slumped back in the chair. "Knew I had a list of numbers at the bar and... Well, you know the rest."

Tae Joon felt hollow. He didn't know what to say and Elliott seemed to realise this because he leaned over and wordlessly requested that Tae Joon take him in his arms. He felt so angry as Elliott crowded against him, silent in their little home. He held him tightly, and Elliott didn't cry or speak or move for a long time. 

-

After a while, Tae Joon managed to convince Elliott that it would be good for him to speak to someone else. A professional.

"A shrink?"

"Yeah, maybe. I'm sure Ajay knows someone."

"You think I need therapy?" Elliott asked, afronted.

"Do you?" Tae Joon replied, refusing to let whatever ridiculous idea of manliness Elliott had stand in the way of letting him get better in every way he needed.

Elliott tried to stare him down, and then, he relented. "Yeah. Ok."

-

Elliott asked Tae Joon to marry him three years, eighty four days and fifteen hours after the day Tae Joon had tried to twist his arm off on a dropship hovering over a frozen landscape with nothing but malice in his heart.

Tae Joon said yes as they lay next to one another in bed, just them, no cameras, no decoys, no pressure.

Maybe their love story had been unconventional, the background tale of the real terrifying adventure they had both endured, but it was theirs, whole and no longer broken, and Elliott had for once been wrong, because they did get to have a happily ever after in The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. This was a thing.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who commented and left kudos and made me want to keep writing this even when it stubbornly refused to cooperate. In all honesty, I was in two minds about how to end this but then I realised I wanted a happy ending and its my fic so there. You all are fantastic.


End file.
